Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

The woods were quiet.

A bit to quiet, in Esmeray's opinion.

As she traveled the woods in her wolf form—which was much bigger than the average wolf, with black fur, yellow eyes, and one red paw— she heard a scream. She quickly took off in the direction in the scream and saw a boy in a red hoodie being pinned down by a monstrous looking beast, who had sunken its teeth into the boy's hip.

The Alpha. Esmeray realized. The beast that killed Laura.

When Esmeray had felt her already thin, strained, pack bond with Laura break she had gone out to search for her cousin. The beast let the boy go (she vaguely recognized the boy from school) and the boy took off.

The beast turned around to face her and Esmeray felt a flicker of a pack bond between her and the Alpha, which became stronger and more sure. The Alpha growled and took off. Esmeray took off as well, following the boy's cedar and lemon scent to the edge of a road, jumping over a large tree stump on the way. She growled softly when the boy turned to her, brown eyes wide and filled with panic.

She could smell the blood from the bite. The born werewolf memorized his face to find at school (did they have chemistry together? She was pretty sure they did.) and felt a flicker of a pack bond between them. She growled and took off for Deaton's house.

The Druid was waiting for her. Esmeray shifted back into her human form, thankful that whenever she shifted, she retained her clothing. She had only lost her clothes the first time she had shifted.

"Did you find her?" Deaton asked, handing her a mug of tea. Esmeray followed him inside the house.

"The Alpha bit someone. Teenager my age, brown eyes, crooked jaw." she said. "And I didn't find her."

"His name is Scott. He works at the clinic." Deaton said. "He goes to high school with you."

"The full moon is this Friday." Esmeray said. "Indeed. That means we have to be careful." Deaton agreed.

The next day at school, Esmeray put away her books and grabbed the ones she needed. She tuned out the rest of the noise from the hallway. "Focus on what you want to see, to hear. Ignore the rest until you expand the range to how you want it to be." Satomi had told her.

"There's the new girl." Lydia, her best friend, said. Esmeray turned to see the leggy brunette. "Let's go say hi." Lydia said. "Let me grab my books." Esmeray said dryly, grabbing her books, putting them in her messenger bag, and walking in step with Lydia to the new girl.

"That jacket is absolutely killer. Where'd you get it?" Lydia asked.

"My mom was a buyer for a boutique back in San Francisco." the leggy brunette said with a smile. "And you are my new best friend." Lydia said.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Esmeray deadpanned.

"You are my childhood best friend." Lydia quickly corrected. The new girl smiled. "I'm Allison Argent."

Esmeray stiffened instantly, as did Lydia. Lydia, her best friend, who was aware of the supernatural, and the family that bore the surname Argent.

"Esmeray Hale." she said with a forced smile. "Lydia Martin." Lydia said.

She heard Jackon's footsteps and shifted to be next to Allison when the lacrosse captain put a hand around Lydia's waist. Allison sent Esmeray a face that read Couple? and Esmeray nodded.

"So Hale, you didn't tell us you had a look alike." Jackson said.

"What?" Esmeray and Allison chorused and Esmeray looked at Allison, who she saw was doing the same.

Jackson was right. They had the same lips, eye shape, nose, and chin. They were both 5'8 in height. One of the main differences was that Allison had brown hair and brown eyes to Esmeray's black hair and blue eyes. But even then, their hair was the same naturally loose curls style.

"Well, it's a coincidence." Allison said.

"Now, you're coming to practice right?" Jackson asked Lydia.

"Yes, Esmeray and Allison are coming as well." Lydia said.

"I didn't—"

"Good, see you there." Jackson said, kissing Lydia and walking away. "She who will not be named will be at lacrosse practice." Esmeray said to her best friend, scowling.

"Who?" Allison said.

"Maya Dare. Esmeray's evil ex." Lydia said.

Allison's eyes widened and she turned to Esmeray, who raised a challenging eyebrow. "I'm pan." she said.

"I don't have a problem with that. My second cousin Nathan is gay." Allison said.

"She's approved." Lydia said, linking her arm with Esmeray's. Allison took Lydia's other arm and Esmeray smiled softly at the Argent girl.

Maybe the Argent girl wouldn't be too bad.

"She's not here. Thank whatever god that exists." Esmeray said, sitting down at the bleachers. "If Maya was here I would be hard press not to kill her."

"Do I wanna know what happened?" Allison tentively asked.

"No." Esmeray chorused in sync with Lydia.

The lacrosse players came out. "So there's this party this Friday." Lydia said. "A party?" Allison said.

"Yeah. Everyone's coming after the lacrosse scrimmage." Lydia said. "'Football is a joke. Lacrosse is the sport here.'" Esmeray quoted Jackson. A scent of cedar and lemon hit her nose and she turned, scanning the players until she found McCall. Her blue eyes meet his brown.

"McCall!" the coach yelled, tossing some kind of lacrosse gear. Esmeray's eyes narrowed when she saw him swiftly catch the gear before it could hit his chest. "You're on goal." she the coach say.

"Who's that?" Allison asked, and Esmeray pulled back her senses. She watched the possible werewolf cock his head in their direction.

"I think his name is Scott." Esmeray mused. The whistle blew and she winced, rubbing her forehead as it blasted against her superhuman ears.

Scott did the same and that was when she knew that Scott had survived the bite. And was now a werewolf... a werewolf with no pack, no Alpha. Like her.

"Lydia." she murmured so softly that Scott couldn't hear her, getting her best friend's attention. "Scott? He's like me now."

"He's been bit?" Lydia whispered equally soft.

"Bit." Esmeray confirmed.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Deaton had been kind enough to get her a DNA test when she asked for one, thankfully accepting her excuse about wanting to find out who her sire was. Her gut told her that her and Allison's resemblance was more than a coincidence.

Her face paled when she saw the resits of the test. At the evidence that marked her suspicions that stared right at her.

Dad... Esmeray thought. You and him... you guys were mates?

"Hello Ms.Hale." Jennifer, her father's nurse said when she entered the hospital. The nurse, like most of the hospital staff, was used to Esmeray's constant visits. "He's in his room. He responded a little bit to music today."

"That's good." Esmeray said with a slight smile. She headed to the room and entered, closing the door behind her. She turned to the only other person in the room: her father, sitting in a chair, facing the window. Her heart broke at seeing her father, once full of life and light, now unresponsive, still, and comatose.

She sat down across from him, taking his burned hand and drawing his pain away. No reaction as usual and she sighed, meeting his blank blue eyes. Identical to her own, but lacking any spark, any sign of life.

In the fire, they had both been burned severely. She bore a massive red burn scar covering the near entirety of her back, two more red scars palms of both her hands, and her one more on her right shoulder up to a small portion of the right side of her neck.

But her father... 75% of his body was covered with third degree burns, and his healing had pushed him into a coma so it could devote its strength too healing. But it took werewolves longer to heal from fire. And after six years, her father was still in a coma.

"They say you responded a bit to music today." Esmeray said. She pushed back a piece of her long black hair. "Laura's dead, I don't know if you felt it. There's a new Alpha, and he bit a teenager. He could bite more..." she shook her head. "That's not why I came here."

Esmeray leaned closer. "I took a DNA test. And Chris Argent is registered as my other father." As expect, there was no response. "Did you love him? Aunt Talia's journals say you did, even if they never named him directly. That you were so happy around the time I would have been conceived, then you came back one night with a broken heart and you were never the same until I was born."

Her father didn't react. He couldn't, of course.

"I miss you." she murmured. "You're my family. You're all that I have left."

The next day of school she tracked down Scott, her new packmate, to his locker. She heard the clang of a locker slammed shut. "All right, little man. How 'bout you tell me where you're getting your juice." she heard Jackson said. Esmeray rounded the corner. "What?" Scott asked, his face filled with confusion.

"Where. Are. You. Getting. Your. Juice?" Jackson repeated slowly. Scott blinked, looking like a confused puppy. "My mom does all the grocery shopping." he answered.

Esmeray swallowed a laugh but she smiled. "Now, listen, McCall— you're gonna tell me exactly what it is and who you're buying it from, because there's no way in hell you're out there kicking ass on the field like that without some sort of chemical boost." Jackson said.

No, a werewolf can kick ass without needing drugs. Esmeray thought.

Scott's eyes widened. "Oh, you mean steroids!" he said and then frowned. "Are you on steroids?"/p>

Esmeray sniffed the air. She couldn't pick up the scent of steroids on Jackson.

Said boy in question looked ready to kill someone. "What the hell is going on with you, McCall?" he demanded.

Scott shoved Jackson away and Esmeray heard his rise in heartbeat. Sweet hell, please don't shift. she internally begged.

"What's going on with me? You really wanna know? Well, so would I! Because I can see, hear, and smell things that I shouldn't be able to see, hear, and smell. I do things that should be impossible, I'm sleepwalking three miles into the middle of the woods, and I'm pretty much convinced that I'm totally out of my freaking mind!" the McCall boy yelled.

Jackson sneered at Scott. "You think you're funny, don't you, McCall? I know you're hiding something. I'm gonna find out what it is. I don't care how long it takes." And with that the Whittemore boy walked away.

Scott turned around and saw her. "What are you doing?" he demanded, his eyes flashing yellow.

Scott McCall

"You haven't figured it out." the girl, Esmeray Hale if he remembered correctly murmured. Her scent of forest mist, cinnamon bark, and lavender had alerted him of her presence before he had seen her.

"Figured out what?" Scott demanded, feeling something inside him growl.

Esmeray tilted her head and her eyes suddenly flared a brilliant golden color. Scott's eyes widened even as he felt his own eyes do the same.

"That you're a werewolf." the Hale House Fire survivor whispered so softly that only Scott could hear it.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"But werewolves aren't real." Scott panicked and Esmeray rolled her eyes, quickly shoving the McCall boy into an empty classroom. "They are real." she said, shifting into her werewolf form. Scott doubled back and she turned back into her human form.

"You've been hearing things a human couldn't, can you? You've been getting strange instincts—that's our wolf side. You can feel a tiny connection to me. That is the pack bond. And today, you've been feeling restless. That's the full moon. " she listed off.

"The animal that bit me... it was you!" Scott said. He lunged at her, but she threw him back into the wall.

She walked over and helped him back to his feet, flaring golden eyes. "Lesson number 1: Beta Werewolves have golden eyes. Alpha's, the leader of werewolf packs, they have red eyes. Alpha's are the only werewolves who can turn human's into wolves. You and I, Scott? We're Beta's. Laura, the young woman who was killed, was an Alpha. A werewolf killed her and stole her power."

"What's going to happen on the full moon?" Scott asked, looking more serious and accepting.

"You'll shapeshift for the first time. Until you find your anchor, the full moon will trigger and heighten your powers, but also your bloodlust and wolf instincts. Strong emotions will also trigger your powers." Esmeray explained. "I can help you learn how to control this. You didn't ask for this, but you need to control it so you don't kill anyone."

"What's an anchor?" a voice asked and she spun on her foot, seeing a buzzcut boy leaning against the door. Shit. How had she not heard him. Her claws came out and the Hale girl let out a growl.

Scott growled right back and the boy threw up both hands. "I won't say anything! And I was suspecting this."

"You are?" the ravenette asked bluntly.

"Stiles Stilinski." the boy, Stiles said. "So, tonight's the full moon."

"I have a date tonight." Scott said anxiously.

"Not anymore." Esmeray drawled. "Just cancel and claim you got sick or family emergency."

"You mom works as a nurse. Allison would believe you having to bring her dinner or something." Stiles said.

She grabbed Scott's phone and put her number in it. "Head to the Hale House before the full moon hits its peak. Preferably three hours before it does, better safe than sorry. Stiles, you get mountain ash from Deaton- he's the Druid Emissary for the our pack."

"Why do we need mountain ash?" the Stilinski boy asked.

"Because if you make an unbroken circle of mountain ash, it will trap any supernatural creature. It will contain Scott for the full moon." Esmeray explained.

"Thank you." Scott murmured.

Her blue eyes meet his brown. "We're pack. We help each other."

Scott and Stiles showed up at the Hale House three hours before the full moon hit its peak. Deaton tagged along and made the mountain ash circle around Scott, preventing him from transforming. The full moon hit and Scott transformed, his inner wolf taking control.

"So..." Stiles said awkwardly as Esmeray focused on her anchor—her sense of self and identity—and took deep breaths in order not to loose control. She smelled Derek's scent but didn't bother to greet him. She paused slightly, inhaling the scent of death that lingered in the ruins of the once glorious Hale House. A corpse?she wondered."This is—"

"Where my family burned to death." she said with a scowled.

"I was going to say your old house. But I'm sorry for your family. I know what its like to loose a loved one." Stiles said. The blue eyed werewolf heard the crunch of footsteps and she stiffened, getting up. "Hunters." she hissed.

"Hunters?" Stiles echoed. "Like werewolf hunters?"

"Yes." Esmeray said, pulling Stiles to his feet and scrambling into the house. They ducked behind the walls near the window of the burned, husk of a living room. She forced herself past memories of fire and smoke, of burned flesh and screams—

"Just breath." Stiles whispered, and she nodded. Esmeray carefully peeked through the window and saw three hunters, and she spotted Chris Argent.

Her other father.

Did he regret breaking her father's heart?

Chapter Text

Chris Argent

Chris decided that Beacon Hills was his personal hell. It was where he had fallen in love, had broken a heart (and broken his own), a place of both his best and worst memories. All he could remember was meeting Peter Hale, falling head over heels for the werewolf, he had felt drawn to the werewolf.

When Allison mentioned inviting her friends over for a study session, Chris hadn't payed much thought and agreed. It was a Saturday, the day after the full moon, and Victoria was out of town that day as well.

What harm could it be?

"Dad, they're here!" Allison called and opened the door. Chris moved to stand in the doorway of the kitchen to greet his daughter's friends but he froze when he saw the raven haired one.

She was Allison's look alike. They had the same lips, eye shape, nose, and chin. They were both 5'8 in height. He long, night black hair was in the same loose curls like Allison's brown. A pair of blue eyes meet his and he instantly recognized the shade of the pair of blue eyes.

He had loved those eyes once.

Chris snapped himself out of his thoughts. "Dad, this is Lydia," Allison gestured to the petite redhead. "And this is Esmeray. She looks like me, isn't that weird?"

"Nice to meet you, Mr.Argent." Lydia said and Esmeray murmured a polite hello. "If your study session runs late girls, you're welcome to stay for dinner." Chris said and the three girls headed upstairs.

Chris collapsed into a chair the moment they were out of sight, his mind racing. He hadn't paid much attention to the Hale family children, dismissing the thought of Esmeray Hale as one of Talia's children.

But now... Esmeray Hale, maybe a year younger than Allison, and she couldn't be Talia's daughter because of the timeline—

"If I ever have a daughter, I want to name her Esmeray." Peter said, smiling fondly at the idea of a daughter, blue eyes glowing under the moonlight.

Chris didn't know whether to cry or scream.

Chris knew that Peter had survived the Hale House Fire. The moment he learned of that the Hale House had burned down with a majority of the family and pack still inside, he had checked the list of the dead for Peter's name. He remembered the list of the dead clearly.

Talia Hale, her husband Jason, and their younger children: Cora, age ten, Alyssa, age five, and Nathan, age three. Several, if not all of, the pack members had died in the fire as well. Twins Jessica Lang and Daniel Lang, Thomas Beckett, Diego Lopez, his wife Maria Lopez, Rachel Pierce, and over a dozen more had perished in the fire.

There were only four survivors: Derek and Laura Hale (who had died recently), and they hadn't been in the house when the fire started. Police reports said that they had been at the movies with their friends.

But the other two had been in the house when the fire went up. Peter Hale... and as Chris read the reports as he drove to Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital, his daughter Esmeray Hale. Peter was still in a coma but Esmeray had also been horribly burned almost all over her back, the palms of both her hands, her part of her right shoulder, and a small portion of the right side of her neck.

Esmeray's mother was unknown.

Chris now knew who her other parent was. It was him.

The Argent Hunter made his way to Peter's room, closing the door behind him. The younger man was still and motionless, facing the windows. Chris sat across from him, his heart breaking at the sight of his ex boyfriend.

Burns covered one half of his face, and Chris saw more on his hands and neck though Peter's clothes hide the rest. Chris knew that 75% of Peter's body had been burned, and now he was comatose. But seeing it, the long reaching consequences of the Hale House Fire, was a confirmation.

The last time Chris had seen him, he had been furious but alive and moving. Seeing him now, so still, his beautiful blue eyes so dead and dull, was a punch to the gut.

"Hey, it's been a while." he murmured. He let out a bitter laugh. "You would probably be attacking me right now if you were awake. I know I don't have a right to be here but I had to see you. And to talk about our daughter. Not that I knew—and in hindsight it was probably for the best that I didn't know. She looks a lot like my other daughter, Allison. You could imagine my surprise when one of Allison's new friends looks uncannily like her but with your blue eyes and your mother's black hair."

He took a deep breath and sighed, meeting blank blue eyes. Esmeray's blue eyes. But Peter's lacked the spark, the life, Esmeray's had. "I broke your heart and I'll do what I can to make it up to you. I'll start with keeping an eye on our daughter. Your niece, Laura, she was killed and now there's a new Alpha in charge of the remnants of your pack. I'll do what I can to keep her safe."

"I love you." he whispered and kissed Peter's burned forehead, leaving the room, his heart breaking into more pieces as he left the love of his life.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray meandered down the halls of Beacon Hills, drawing in her sketchbook when she heard growls form the boy's locker room. Oh great. the blue eyed werewolf thought and shoved her sketchbook in her bag as she wolf-speed ran through the halls to the locker rooms.

Esmeray threw open the door and saw a shifted Scott. Esmeray growled and got his attention. The bitten werewolf lunged and she grabbed him, throwing him into the wall. Scott roared and she shifted into her werewolf form, roaring right back. Scott swiped with his claws and she healed, and she stabbed him in stomach with her own claws.

Scott coughed blood and she slammed him into the floor before throwing him into the walls again. She hadn't even broken sweat and Scott was back in his human form. "Where the claws needed?" the brown haired werewolf asked.

"Yes." Esmeray said flatly, shifting back from her werewolf form to her human appearance. She sensed Stiles. "You can come out now." she said flatly, turning her head to the buzzcut boy.

"You're a lot stronger than Scott." Stiles said. "I'm a born werewolf, I've have more experience with my powers. I came into mine when I was ten."

"So, how did you calm me down?" Scott asked. "Pain makes you human." Esmeray said.

"You came into your powers when you were ten. They activated during the fire, didn't they?" Stiles said. Esmeray clenched her fists, hearing someone hyperventilating as his words triggering memories of burning flesh, fire, smoke, and screams—

"Hey just breathe." she heard someone say. "What are three colors you can see?"

"Brown, your hair." she whispered. "Red and white from your lacrosse jersey."

"That's good." the voice said. "Three smells?"

"Sweat, your scent, Stile's scent." she got out, her voice steadier as the anxiety began to slow down.

"Alright, three sounds. You're doing really good." the voice said.

"Heart beats, door creaking, your voice." she said, and the haze died down. She was propped up against one of lockers and Scott was sitting across from her. Her blue eyes meet his brown.

"Thanks." she said. "How did you know all of that?"

"My mom's a nurse. I've picked up some things over the years." Scott explained, helping her to her feet.

"Uh, sorry for the panic attack." Stiles said. Esmeray gave a weak smile. "You didn't know." she said. "Don't do it again or I'll skin you alive with my claws."

Stiles gave her a mock salute and she let out a small laugh. "So, how does he stay calm during the lacrosse game?" Stiles asked.

The mood sobered pretty quickly. "You need to find an anchor. Something that keeps you human. It can be a memory, emotion, relationship, person, or mantra." she explained to both boys.

"The full moon. You had perfect control." Stiles said. She nodded. "It usually takes werewolves, born or bitten, to two or three full moons to find an anchor. Since Scott here is a puppy dog I'm betting your anchor will be love, romantic, familial, and platonic."

Scott flushed as Stiles began too snicker. "What's yours?" he asked.

"My sense of self and identity. I also use mantras if I feel like the wolf is rising up." she explained. "Our pack's mantra is 'Alpha, Beta, Omega' but I also use 'Three things cannot be hidden: the sun, the moon, the truth' as well."

"So Scott has to find an anchor to stay in control during the game?" Stiles summarized. "Yes." she nodded. "Or you have to get out of the game." she informed her fellow pack member.

The next day brought excitement for the big game. Esmeray was drawing again outside before she heard the Sheriff's voice inside the building. "I want everyone under the age of eighteen to be in their home by 9:30PM. We'd like to institute the curfew, effective immediately.." he instructed.

There was to much noise but she caught Stiles's saying: "Unbelievable. My dad's out looking for a rabid animal, while the jerk-off who actually killed the girl is just hangin' out, doing whatever he wants."

Oh god, they thought Derek killed Laura.

She ran through the woods in her wolf form and came upon the Hale House. She howled and spotted Stile's jeep pull into the driveway, getting in from to of the jeep. Stiles screamed when he saw her, the jeep coming to a sudden halt.

Esmeray turned back into her human form, shooting both boys an unimpressed look. She motioned them to get out of the jeep and they did.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "And don't lie, I heard what you said in the hallway."

Both of them balked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why do you think Derek killed his own sister?" Esmeray said angrily. "I told you about wolf eyes—gold for Beta's, red for Alpha's. Derek isn't the Alpha because his eyes are blue. Someone else killed Laura, and he was in New York when Laura was killed."

"Okay that's fair." Stiles mumbled.

"Get.out." she growled and the boys got in the jeep, driving away. Esmeray sighed as they did and turned too Laura's grave. She sighed and turned back into a wolf, running away from the burned ruins of her childhood.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray was working at the kitchen table, going over her homework when she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye. She got up and approached the sliding glass door, opening it. She turned her head and yelped.

Derek sat in one of the porch chairs. "Esmeray." he greeted. "Derek." she said shortly. "The Alpha attacked someone tonight." Derek said. "Six years and that's your first proper sentence to me." Esmeray snarked.

Guilt entered her cousins's eyes. "Esmeray we—"

"Couldn't bother to remember that by leaving Dad and I here, burned and healing, we would be vulnerable." she said sharply and closed the door, locking it.

Esmeray parked her car and headed into school. The stench of blood hit her nose and she began to speed walk into school, following the scent of blood until she saw a school bus, door ripped open and blood everywhere.

"Oh lord." she muttered.

That free period she was drawing in the library when she picked up Scott's scent, cedar and lemon laced with guilt and panic. "Yes Scott?" she asked.

"Could it be possible that I did that?" Scott asked. "Possibly." she said. "Look, I would recommend going to Derek. But I do know that if you don't remember, your senses will."

"That's really cryptic." Scott muttered before spotting her picture. "That's really pretty."

She smiled. The drawing was of the lunar phases "Thank you."

Lydia was the second person to ambush her about the bus. "That was definitely not a mountain lion." the strawberry blonde whispered during art class.

"More like an Alpha Werewolf the size of a bear." Esmeray whispered back before turning back to her painting. It was of the constellation Orion.

Yes, she was aware of the irony in that.

"And the victim was Garrison Meyers." Lydia added. The ravenette stilled, recognizing the name.

It had been two days since the fire. She was still in the hospital as she recovered from the burns, her healing slowly speeding up the process. "Garrison Meyers won't give the poor girl anything?!" she heard Deaton whisper-yell. Esmeray kept her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep.

"He won't, the insurance companies don't pay for stuff like the fire." she heard the Sheriff answer. "He says it was an accident."

She forced herself to keep her eyes closed. It wasn't an accident— she had seen the blonde woman, laughing and smiling as the house, and her family and pack within it, burned before leaving, still laughing.

"An accident? Houses don't burn down randomly, Sheriff." Deaton protested. "And not like that."

"That's what they said." the Sheriff said and he left. Esmeray opened her eyes as. "It wasn't an accident." she said shakily.

Esmeray shook herself out of the memory. "He was the insurance investigator for the fire." she murmured. Is the Alpha going for the people who started the fire? she wondered. Her wolf howled, urging her to step aside and let the responsible ones die.

And that scared her.

Esmeray entered the hospital. She was a regular so the staff weren't surprised. She picked up Meyer's scent and followed it to his room.

She quietly slipped in and closed the door. "Hey, wake up." she said. Meyers eyes opened. "Hale." he said softly.

"How do you know my name?" Esmeray demanded, a growl in her voice. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." the man apologized. "I'm so sorry Ms.Hale. I'm so, so sorry."

More confused, Esmeray left the room.

Peter heard the footsteps of his daughter, the door opening and closing, his precious girl sitting across from him. Peter kept up his appearance of comatose man despite how desperately he wanted to reveal himself to his daughter.

If he hadn't killed Laura (and oh the thought of it made him want to scream in grief), then it would have taken him another year to fully heal. He had sent the flyer to get the supernatural's community attention, to remind them why a werewolf's revenge was a dangerous thing.

But that night, when he had gone to the woods to feel the moon again, to feel alive, but when Laura had approached him, his inner wolf had taken control, and he had killed Laura in a last ditch attempt to save himself.

A hand took his and his pain was taken away. His inner wolf, now an Alpha, let out a growl of approval. Esmeray was a good pack member, despite everything she had gone through. She looked out for her pack and helped where she could. Scott was doing well under her tutelage. She was a much better teacher than Derek.

"The Alpha killed a man." his daughter said softly. "It was the insurance investigator for the fire. I think... I think whoever they are, they're going to go for the people behind the fire. They're avenging us."

He wasn't surprised that his daughter was suspecting his plan. To everyone else, Garrison Meyers was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But for Esmeray, for him, Garrison Meyers looked the other way when their pack burned alive.

I am.Peter thought. His eyesight still wasn't good yet but he could make out the blurry image of his precious daughter. They'll pay, Stardust.

"I'm torn. Do I warn the Sheriff... yeah he won't believe me. Stiles might. But they killed our pack, our family. The wolf inside of me says to let the Alpha do it. We're wolves, we destroy who hurts us." Esmeray continued, absorbing more of his pain.

"Ugh, I just hope they only kill the responsible ones and leave the innocents alone. Less work for the Sheriff's department." she sighed. Fair point.Peter thought.

He could do that.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray was walking through the halls as the final bell rang and ran into Derek. She yelped and shoved him into an empty classroom.

"Derek?" she asked and the scent of wolfsbane hit her. She gagged at the smell, reflexively stepping away. "I was shot." Derek growled, eyes flashing blue. "Kate Argent is in town."

"Great," Esmeray drawled. She gestured to his arm. "What kind of wolfsbane?"

"The blue one." Derek hissed, getting onto shaky feet. "Then we burn it out." Esmeray said and threw one arm over her shoulders and helped him to her car. He got in and she texted Scott.

Black Moon: Avoid the Argents today. They have wolfsbane and if you get shot you're dead unless you burn it out.

Wonder Wolf: Wait, what!?!

Black Moon: Wolfsbane is bad for us. If you get shot, you have to either a: burn it out before the infection reaches your heart or b: get the ashes of the strand of wolfsbane you were shot with and put the ashes in the wound.

Wonder Wolf: I'm studying with Allison today.

Black Moon: Avoid her aunt, Kate. She's a Hunter, and not the good kind. Most Hunters obey their supposed code about not killing innocents but Kate is a bitch who will kill any supernatural and anyone connected to the supernatural

She sent word to Stiles before putting her phone away and began driving to the clinic. Once she started driving the ravenette spotted Stiles following her and sighed. She parked her car and got out, raising an eyebrow.

"I was curious." Stiles admitted shamelessly.

Derek lurched out of her car, heaving up black barf. "Help me get him in." Esmeray ordered, helping Derek into the clinic. Stiles opened the gate and she got Derek into one of the rooms.

"Lighter, lighter... oh here we go!" she said and threw tourniquet at Derek.

Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out. It was Scott.

Wonder Wolf: Does Nordic Blue monkshood mean anything?

Black Moon: That's the kind that Derek got shot with. Bring it the clinic.

"Scott found the kind you got shot with." she told Derek. "He's on his way."

Fifteen minutes of anxiety, black barf, absorbing Derek's pain, and Derek passing out, she heard Scott enter the building. "I got it!" Scott yelled and tossed Esmeray the bullet. Esmeray took it and shook Derek awake. Her cousin woke up and she handed the bullet to Derek before rapidly stepping back to give him space.

Her cousin dumped out the wolfsbane and Esmeray back away even further, instinctively wanting to put as much space in-between her and the deadly poison. Scott, she saw, did the same.

Derek burned the ashes and shoved them into his wound, screaming in pain before passing out again.

The evolved werewolf nervously walked over and saw the black veins had vanished. She sighed in relief and smacked her cousin hard.

Derek jerked awake and glared up at her. She smiled sweetly and tossed him his shirt.

"So survival lesson is don't get shot with wolfsbane?" Scott said, breaking the tense silence.

Esmeray nodded. "Yup. Wolfsbane is bad for all canine based supernatural."

"So that was one thing that Hollywood got right." Stiles quipped.

Both her and Derek laughed.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray heard Maya enter the library and the blonde girl sat across from her. "Hey Esmeray." the other girl purred.

"Fuck off." Esmeray snarled, resolutely ignoring the other girl. "Oh come on? That's what you say to your girlfriend?" Maya said. Esmeray looked up from her book, her inner wolf screaming at her to rip the other girl apart.

"Ex-girlfriend." she hissed. "You dumped me, not the other way around." she snarled. Maya rolled her eyes. "That still doesn't stop us from having sex."

"I don't want anything to do with you." Esmeray said shortly, putting her book in her messenger bag and storming off. "Oh come on! Just because it's the day your family burned doesn't mean you have to be a downer." Maya called. Esmeray spun on her heel, flashing her the bird with both of her hands and storming off.

Why did she come to school again? She could skip, it was six anniversary of the fire. Deaton would understand why she ditched school.

She slammed into someone and she growled, her gold eyes flashing. "Hey, calm down." a familiar voice said and she looked up to see Stiles. "Sorry." she muttered. "I ran into She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Ah. I heard she looks like a snake." Stiles said. Esmeray grinned and started walking, Stiles easily catching up to her. "Listen, I haven't heard from Scott. Have you seen him?"

"No. I'm thinking of skipping school." the ravenette admitted. "Why?" Stiles asked.

"It's the anniversary of the fire." she said quietly.

"Oh." Stiles said, and she didn't see any pity in his eyes. "As someone who also lost a family member, you have my sincerest apologies."

Esmeray remembered fourth grade, remembered when Stiles had been pulled out of school before Christmas Break. Remembered Aunt Talia's talk about paying for the funeral for Claudia Stilinski, whom she had been close with as a child.

Talia hadn't been able to pay for the funeral, given the fire.

She let out a bark of laughter, though it was flat and cold. "I hate it when they say I'm sorry. They didn't even know my family. Why should they be saying it? And the goddam pity. It drove me crazy."

"I know right!" Stiles exclaimed. "I hated it it too! I hated the apologies and the pity and how they treated me like delicate glass after my mom died. But... I'm sorry for your family." She knew even without smelling it that Stiles was being genuine.

"I'm sorry for your mom." Esmeray said with a sad smile. "I can draw her." she proposed.

Stiles paused. "You're not joking, right?"

"Why would I joke about that?" the born werewolf said. She spotted an empty table and dragged Stiles over. She sat down and began pulling out her sketchbook and pencils. "Describe her."

Twenty minutes later, she had a black and white drawing of Claudia Stilinski. She tore it out and gave it to Stiles.

The human boy took it with reverence, as if he was holding the holy grail. "Thank you." the other boy said, voice choked with emotions.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

She was finishing her chemistry homework when she heard her phone ring from downstairs. Esmeray quickly hurried downstairs and picked up her phone. Wonder Wolf flashed on caller ID.

The blue eyed teenager hit the answer button. "Hey Scott." she greeted. "Um, hi Esmeray." Scott said. "So the Alpha drew this kind of spiral on my windshield, and Derek knows but he won't say what it is. Do you know what it is?"

Esmeray paused before swallowing. "Scott, the spiral is the werewolf symbol of revenge. That means the Alpha is out for revenge."

There was a pause. "Oh." Scott said. "You have any idea what its out for revenge for?"

I think so. the Hale House survivor thought. "No." she lied through her teeth. "Just... be careful okay? And apologize to Stiles tomorrow at school."

Stiles had called her earlier about what had gone down at the parent-teacher conference. He sounded mad and frustrated over the phone as she just let him rant.

Esmeray was in class as she heard Scott whisper to Stiles.

"Still not talking to me? Okay, can you at least tell me if your dad's okay? It's just a bruise, right? Some soft tissue damage? Nothin' that big—" the McCall boy sighed. "You know I feel really bad about it, right? I'm really sorry, I meant what I said earlier. What if I told you that I'm trying to figure this whole thing out, and... that I went to Derek for help?"

"If I was talking to you, I'd say that you're an idiot for trusting him and you should stick with Esmeray because we can trust her. But, obviously, I'm not talking to you..." Stiles said sternly before sighing. "What did he say?"

Esmeray smiled, feeling flattered that the human trusted her.

Esmeray avoided Allison, her half sister at lunch and join Stiles in his attempt to teach Scott.

"Find an anchor." Esmeray said. "That's the first thing bitten werewolves or born werewolves are taught. Find your anchor, and you can remain in control much easier."

"I think you were right on my anchor." Scott said. "For both platonic and romantic love." Esmeray grinned, pleased at her guess. "Okay, that's good. Focus on that and your heart rate. That's another trigger to involuntary transformation alongside strong emotions."

"Keep a calm heart rate." Stile shouted before throwing a lacrosse ball at Scott's face. Esmeray cackled as Stiles laughed. "This is fun!" Stiles said. He threw another ball. "I'm getting better aim."

Esmeray glanced down at the heart rate monitor. "Scott, your heart rate." she warned.

Scott took a breath. "The sun... the moon... the truth." he muttered. Another lacrosse ball to the face. "The sun the moon the truth!" he yelled, not to loud but not to quiet. The heart monitor began to go down.

"Good." the raventte praised, smiling brightly at Scott. The brunet broke free of the duck tape as the five minute bell rang and the three began to hurry to class.

"So, you and Allison look a lot a like." Stiles said. "Was there some kind of forbidden Hunter-Werewolf romance that makes you two cousins?"

Esmeray let out a snort. "There was a forbidden romance before Scott and Allison. But not in the way you think."

"Oh?" Scott asked.

"She's my half sister." Esmeray revealed.

"But your dad is Peter Hale." Scott said. "And her dad, Chris Argent, is my other dad." she said.

Both boys stopped walking, looking very confused.

"Okay how does that even work?" Stiles asked, still looking confused. "I'm not homophobic or anything, I'm bi, but men can't get pregnant and get birth."

"Werewolves of both genders can get pregnant if they meet their mate." she said with a shrug before heading to her geography class, completely aware of the bomb she had dropped on the two boys.

Esmeray walked into the hospital just as Derek was leaving it. She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were visiting dad." she said.

"He's my family too." Derek said shortly before heading to his Camaro. She rolled her eyes and headed into the hospital, before sensing Chris Argent. She turned around to try and find him but she couldn't see him.

Unnerved, she hurried into the hospital. She made a beeline to her father's room and saw Jennifer, her father's nurse, looking ready to kill someone. "Your cousin has horrible manners." Jennifer said before leaving.

Esmeray let out a small laugh before sitting down next to her father, pulling out a piece of artwork she had been working on. It was the Hale Pack, all of them, right before the fire. The broken pack bonds she had just made it worse.

"I miss you." she said, absorbing her father's pain. "I miss our pack. I have Scott as a packmate now but I still miss them so much."

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray sighed. The past week had been wild. First there had been the incident where they had been trapped at school with the Alpha and Derek got accused for murder. Then Scott hadn't been able to control himself on the blue moon and had run wild, forcing Esmeray and Derek to team up and wrangle him.

To be fair, he broke up with his first love and that's an emotional blow for any werewolf struggling to control themselves. she mused quietly as she flipped through her book. She suddenly caught Scott's cedar and lemon scent laced with panic-worry and she looked up to see Scott and Stiles walking over.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Jackson knows." Scott blurted out. Esmeray's brain paused before rebooting.

"He knows?" she asked, stressing on the final word as the two boys sat down at her table.

Stiles nodded, confirming it. "He knows knows."

"He wants the Bite." Scott added, looking nervous. "Or he'll tell Allison."

She groaned. "If he tells Allison, she might tell her dad and we're all screwed."

"He also threatened to touch Allison then you." Scott added with a growl, her packmate's eyes flashing yellow.

He did what. Esmeray thought, scowling as her inner wolf growled in anger.

She turned to Stiles. "Stiles do you know how to get away with murder?"

"No!" Scott yelled.

"Yes!" Esmeray and Stiles said at the same time.

Esmeray was heading to the bathroom when the scent of sadness-anger hit her nose and heard someone crying. She entered the bathroom and approached the stall. She caught Lydia's raspberry and rose scent and frowned. "Lydia?" she called softly. "It's me."

"Go away." Lydia said but her voice broke. "Go away, Esme."

"No one's here." Esmeray said. "Just tell me a name and I'll skin them alive, starting with their eyes."

There was a small laugh and the door opened, revealing Lydia. The strawberry blonde had tear tracks running down her face and her mascara was running. "He dumped me. Over text." Lydia whispered.

Esmeray pulled the other girl into a hug, letting Lydia cling to her. Her anger flared up at the Whittemore boy's actions. Lydia was pack, and how dare Jackson threaten and hurt her pack.

"He didn't deserve you, Lyds." the werewolf murmured to her best friend. "You deserve the fucking world."

She was working on her homework when the doorbell rang. She got up and opened the door to reveal the Sheriff.

"Sheriff?" she asked confused. "Listen if its about Derek—" she started, sensing Deaton approach.

"I found someone who saw the woman who burned the Hale House down." Noah cut her off. "I think you deserve to be there."

She glanced at Deaton, who nodded. "I expect her back in one piece." Deaton said. The Sheriff nodded and Esmeray followed him to the police cruiser. The drive was filled with awkward silence until they got to the school.

"Who are we meeting here." she asked as they got out. "Adrian Harris." Noah answered as they entered the school.

She frowned but didn't say anything as she followed him to the chemistry room. There her teacher stood. "Sheriff Stilinski." the man greeted. He looked at her and guilt filled his eyes. "Ms.Hale."

"You know exactly why we are here." the Sheriff said. "Laura Hale paid you a visit before she died. Derek Hale did it recently as well. I want to know why and you will tell me." He slide a piece of paper at the teacher.

"Does she have to be here?" Mr.Harris said. She glared at him. "Yes." she spoke.

"This is a list of fake identities I've used when drinking. It was six years ago... And, in my defense, it was before I'd gotten sober." Harris said.

Esmeray gagged at the thought of her teacher being drunk and having hook ups.

"Listen, I have my son's first lacrosse game to get to. What do you say we just focus on the details, huh?" Sheriff sharply stated.

Harris sighed. "I met her at a bar. We had a lot of drinks— a lot. She started asking me what I do, and she kept asking questions. Do you have any idea what that's like? To have someone actually interested in the topic of chemistry after staring at all these vacant faces day after—"

If you hate us so much, then why are you a teacher? she thought irritably.

"Details." the Sheriff interjected. "Like I said, I talked. It was fascinating stuff. How you could melt away the lock of a bank vault. How you could dissolve a body and get away with murder." Harris told them.

"How to start a fire and get away with it." Esmeray finished the list angrily. So that was how Kate got away with it. she thought angrily, her claws unsheathing. She forced them back.

Harris nodded. "And a week later, the Hale House burns down.".

"With my family and I inside of it." the blue eyed teenager hissed, tears in her eyes.

"You know, you could have said something." Stilinski said, anger slipping through his cool professionalism.

"And be an accomplice? It would have ended my teaching career!" her teacher objected.

Something inside of Esmeray snapped, standing up and slamming her palms on his desk. "Your teaching career was more important than the people who died that night? Who's lives were ruined! Let me list off each and every person who you killed, indirectly and unwittingly be dammed. Because it wasn't elven people, Harris, it was over twenty three."

She began ranting. "My Aunt Talia and Uncle Jason, and their children: Cora, Alyssa, and Nathan. Ten, five, and three respectively. My other Uncle, Nicholas Hale, his husband Caleb, and their children: eight year old twins Helena and Henry, four year old Serena, and two old Ryan. Our family friends: Jessica Lang and Daniel Lang, Thomas Beckett, Diego Lopez, his wife Maria Lopez, Rachel Pierce, Irina Black, siblings Jade and Jakob Bennett, Emilio Ramirez, Helena Sanchez, Gabriella Jones, Penelope Thomas, Cameron Johnson, William White, Olivia Jackson and her wife Carina Jackson, and Henry Parker. Those are the ones I can name off the top of my head. Ages ranging from fourteen to Aunt Talia's age."

Esmeray pinned Harris with a death glare, leaning on his desk. Her blood was roaring in her ears. "If you add me and my father, that was thirty two of us in the house when the fire started. And we were the only ones who got out." If it hadn't been for the fact that it was lunar eclipse that night and so many of the pack were trapped, more of the pack could have escaped. "But let's not forget that neither of us made it out unscathed." she held up her burned hands and gestured to the burn on the side of her neck. "But you? You are a coward who couldn't even do a basic human decency and help because your job was more important."

She then registered tears running down her face and she brushed them away. "I'm leaving." she said coldly and left the room, tears running down her face as she left. She ran out of the building, as fast as her legs could carry her until she ran into someone.

It was Stiles.

"Stiles?" she asked. She immediately scented the distress and worry he was giving off. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"Hey Esme." the boy greeted. "We found out who the Alpha is."

"Who is it?" Esmeray asked.

Stiles swallowed, shifting on his feet. "Your dad." he whispered.

He watched nervously as Esmeray froze. She shook her head. "This isn't funny Stiles." she said, her voice cracking. Stiles felt awful for her—he hadn't wanted her to find out this way but Esmeray deserved to know.

He nodded. "Derek mentioned how werewolves can sense liars by listening to heartbeats. Listen to mine: Peter Hale is the Alpha."

She was still, her head cocked. "He's alright." she murmured, a smile stretching on her face as tears still poured down her face. "He's healed."

"He's killed people." Stiles added. Esmeray nodded, smile dying and she brushed away the tears. "And that." she agreed.

Later that night a howl went up. Come to me. her instincts told her as her eyes flew open, glowing gold.

Shakily she threw on a hoodie and boots and opened her window, jumping down. She landed gracefully on the ground and shifted into her wolf form, running through the preserve to where the howl, the summon, had come from.

She spotted her father, alive and healed, no more burns on his skin, standing in the clearing. She turned back into her human form and entered the clearing, walking closer. Her blue eyes meet an identical pair and she noticed that she didn't have to crane her neck to meet his gaze anymore.

"Stardust?" her father asked, a nickname she hadn't heard in six years, and the dam broke. Esmeray threw herself at him, clinging to him and inhaling his scent. "I missed you." she said, voice choked with emotions.

A pair of arms hugged her back and she sobbed.

Peter Hale

Peter had wanted to talk to his daughter, but she wore herself out crying. He brushed back a strand of black hair—she had grown up beautifully. He growled, thinking of all the years he had missed with his daughter as the rage burned hot.

He picked her up bridal style and headed back to the Deaton residence, following the wolf tracks. He grinned as pride surged through him—his girl was an Evolved werewolf, the first Beta to achieve it in over two hundred years. Their pack bond flared up, bright and healthily as if it had never been strained and muted to the point as if it had been broken.

Deaton was waiting on the porch. "Should I be threatened?" the Druid drawled.

"You took care of my daughter." Peter shrugged. "I owe you one. You're safe."

Reluctantly, he handed his daughter over. "I'll take care of her until you're back on your feet." Deaton promised.

Peter nodded curtly before leaving, vanishing into the night.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray screamed in pain as the electricity coursed through her body. "If you just tell us who the Alpha is, then this can stop." Kate Argent said. "Go fuck your mother's corpse." Esmeray snapped.

Kate snarled and another jolt of electricity ran through Esmeray. She screamed in pain again.

Esmeray waved goodbye to Allison and Lydia after Allison showed them her bow before heading down the trail that would lead her to Deaton's house. As she strolled through the trees, she heard a whistle like noise. A flash of light erupted and she roared, stumbling back. Someone grabbed her head and slammed her head into the ground, causing her to black out.

That had been a day ago.

Esmeray knew that Kate wanted her to be the bait, to howl and bring her father to the warehouse, but she refused to do so. She let the pain go through her body until she blacked out.

She heard someone enter and looked up, seeing a pair of dark brown eyes. Allison. The Argent girl turned to Kate. "What the hell Kate!?!?"

"Oh, I thought you would like to meet your sister." Kate said and Esmeray's blood went cold. "You see, your father fucked a wolf and got this devil spawn." "She hasn't killed anyone! Let her go!" Allison protested.

"Can't do that." Kate said. "She's not even human Allison. She's a monster. They all are." Kate drawled, grabbing Esmeray's chin. She let her eyes glow gold and fangs come out, sinking her fangs into Kate's hand as deep as they would go. Kate screamed and electrocuted her, forcing Esmeray to let go. A new scent hit her nose and she immediately knew who it was.

"Kate." Chris said coldly. "What have you done."

"D-Dad?" Allison asked. "Chris, what a buzzkill." Kate pouted. "You're really ruining my fun."

"Torturing a sixteen year old is fun?" Chris snarled and damn, he would have made a good wolf. "You know the code, Kate! Her eyes are gold! She's innocent! Victoria will hear about this.". And with that he strode across the warehouse and broke the circle of mountain ash, unchaining her quickly.

Her legs gave out as she blacked out.

Third Person POV

Chris swore and caught his daughter, picking her up. "Allison, take her outside." he ordered, handing Esmeray to Allison. Allison hurriedly took her supposed sister and... she believed Kate. Esmeray was her lookalike, and know, with both her and Dad in the same place, Esmeray could have easily passed off as an Argent. "I'll explain everything."

"Oh yes. You shacked up with a wolf. It was disgusting." her aunt Kate said, looking at the unconscious teenager apathetically. "Kate, the next thing that comes out of your mouth is your tongue." Chris snarled. "The Alpha will kill you when he sees what you've done to their pack member. Do you not remember what went down in Oregon?"

A group of sadistic Hunters had kidnapped, tortured, and nearly killed a fourteen year old werewolf. The Alpha, a woman named Vanessa Lang, had tracked down her charge and slaughtered the Hunters. The Hunter council had sided with Vanessa, as the Hunters had seriously violated the code with their actions.

And the fact that Vanessa had been the side of the law over the case.

So Chris knew that the Alpha would have no qualms on not holding back on Kate unless Esmeray could call them off. Allison left at that, her father following and retaking Esmeray.

Chris sensed the Alpha and slowed down, motioning for Allison to go to the car and she did. He rounded the corner, out of sight of Allison and security cameras, and came face to face with Peter.

Alive, healed, and with murder written all over his face. His heart skipped a beat at seeing the other man but he kept his face blank. "Alpha Hale." Chris greeted.

"Hunter Argent." Peter returned frostily. "I will remember this." Chris nodded and handed over their daughter into Peter's arms. With one curt nod Peter ran off with Esmeray.

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray woke up to machines whirring and beeping. She opened her eyes and found herself in a hospital room. "You're awake!" a voice cried and she turned to see a nurse. The woman resembled Scott in a way.

"You have healing electrical burns but luckily for you, they aren't too bad. You should be released soon." the woman said. "Oh, and I'm Melissa. Melissa McCall."

After that came the Sheriff, whom she lied to about her kidnapper's identity, and a flurry of visitors. Lydia, Scott, Deaton, Stiles, and to her surprise, Allison and Chris. Lydia was kind enough to bring her her sketchbook.

"You'll be released in time for the Winter Formal." Lydia mentioned. "You, Allison, and I, we can all go shopping at Macy's together.". "I don't have a date but at this point I don't care." Esmeray shrugged.

"So, who really kidnapped you?" Lydia asked, leaning in close. "Kate." the ravenette whispered in Lydia's ear.

"Now I'm really hoping your dad kills her." the strawberry blonde muttered.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"I wish we went to Macy's last time! They have everything!" Lydia chirped as she lead them to the escalators. Esmeray followed, going slow to not disrupt the just finished healing electrical burns. "Well it is very expensive." she said carefully.

The Hale Family was rich, but as an underage person Esmeray couldn't access all of it yet. She could access her trust vault that her father had left for her in the case they were separated. Lydia got on one step, Allison standing next to her as Esmeray took the last one. Allison was frowning.

"You okay?" Lydia asked, turning to Allison. "Nothing's wrong... I just, I have a lot on my mind." the Argent girl said. Esmeray grimaced, knowing exactly what Allison was thinking about. "You could smile, at least. Ever heard of the saying, Never frown— someone could be falling in love with your smile? Smile, Allison. I'm buying you a dress." the Martin girl said.

Allison shrugged. "Have to admit, as far as apologies go, that's more than I expected..."

"Excellent!" Lydia said with a smile. "...But not as much as I'm going to ask." the leggy brunette said. "What? What's that supposed to mean?" Lydia asked. Allison gave Esmeray as mischievous smile. "It means you're going to cancel on whatever dumb, 'roided-up jock you said yes to and you're going to go with somebody else."

"Who?" Lydia asked. Allison pointed to Stiles, who accidentally got perfume in his mouth and jerked back. She raised an eyebrow at him when he spotted her with her friend and sister and tried to look suave. "Him." Allison said. The Argent girl smirked. "Don't frown, Lydia!—"

"Someone could be falling in love with your smile!" Esmeray finished with a devious grin. Lydia's face fell but she headed over to Stiles. Esmeray let out a giggle, grinning. It faltered when Allison turned to her.

"So doing the math of when you were born and the timeline—" the brunette started.

"Dear god don't blame the bastard. Blame your dad for not being able to stay in his pants." Esmeray snarked, cutting her off. Frustration flared in Allison's eyes. "Look Esmeray—"

"Get rid of the baby hunter. Take a left then a right, I'm by the shoes." she suddenly heard her father whisper. "I don't want to talk about things that already happened. But if your aunt comes after me, I will kill her." Esmeray threatened.

"Would you kill me?" Allison asked quietly. Esmeray looked her dead in the eyes. "If it protects my family, my pack, my loved ones, and me, then yes. I'll kill you and your father."

She turned on her heel and walked away, falling her father's instructions. She spotted him and rushed over to hug him, relishing in the safety of her father and Alpha as he hugged her back just as hard. "What took you so long?" she asked, her blue eyes meeting her father's. She smiled, seeing his eyes full of life and warmth instead of the dullness that had haunted them for six years.

"I would have visited earlier but I just got Jennifer to discharge me without getting anyone's attention, along with the fact I just got a witch to make everyone believed I healed. The spell was new so I had to wait to let it settle in." her father explained. She hummed and hugged him tighter. "I missed you." Esmeray murmured, breathing in her father's scent of coffee and forest mist.

"Me too, Stardust." Peter said, taking her hand and guiding her somewhere. "Now, I have a dress for you."

Esmeray spotted it and inhaled sharply. The dress was gorgeous.

"Try it on." her father encouraged. Esmeray shook her head weakly but still put it on once she was in a changing room, and she couldn't help but admire herself in the mirror.

The dress started from her neck with an illusion neckline, and descended from the collar and stretching down to the tops of her breasts was a layer of thin silk with her arms and shoulders being covered by detached sleeves, neatly hiding her burn scar. The dress traveled down in a river of blue silk and stopped at her knees. It wasn't backless and flared at the waist.

Still, she was slightly nervous since the burn scar on her neck and the top part of the burn scars on her back and right shoulder would still be exposed. The born werewolf almost always kept them hidden under clothing.

She stepped out and her father grinned. "You look gorgeous." he said, but there was a glimmer of sadness in his eyes. The raventte knew it was because of all the years he had missed due to the coma. And her heart ached for those lost years too, all the time that they had been robbed of. "But you're here now." she responded and he nodded. "I am." the Alpha agreed.

"You look wonderful." Deaton said when she walked down the stairs. She smiled at him brightly.

She had pulled her long, waist length black hair into a single long braid that ran down her back. She had dipped into her jewelry box as well, selecting a lapis lazuli ring connected by a thin chain to a matching lapis lazuli bracelet and a lapis lazuli and silver necklace. She had done minimal makeup, just some lipstick and eyeshadow. She wore black knee length boots and she had a jacket to wear over her dress.

"Thank you." Esmeray said, still smiling. She heard the crunch of Stiles's jeep as the vehicle got closer. "They're here."

"It's a crime such a beautiful young lady has no date." Deaton teased gently. She gave a toothy smile. "Why bother dating when solo is better?" she joked. "I'll see you later." "Have fun." the Druid said and Esmeray grabbed her purse, zipped up her jacket, and hurried out of the house.

"You look amazing!" Lydia squealed the moment she entered the jeep, and as soon as the door shut Stiles started driving. Esmeray grinned. "Thanks."

"You look great." Stiles complemented. The three fell into a comfortable silence as Stiles drove and once they got there, Stiles parked and helped him out—a true gentleman.

Esmeray unzipped her jacket and placed it with her purse at the designated table where her art teacher, Mrs.Norris, stood watching. "It's good to know you're okay." Mrs.Norris said, smiling softly. "Enjoy the night. Use protection."

Esmeray blushed but nodded, grabbing a drink and meandering the outskirts. She felt a pair of eyes on her and she meet Scott's brown eyes across the room. She grinned at him and he smiled back. "You look beautiful." she heard him whisper.

A lot of people had told her that, but something in her chest warmed as her cheeks pinked. "Thanks." she whispered, knowing he would hear her.

Soon Scott was spotted and she laughed quietly at his plan on how he averted attention. "Smart move." she muttered quietly enough he would hear her. She then accepted a few dances and enjoyed the dance floor until Stiles grabbed her arm and pulled her off the floor.

"What the hell, Stilinski?" she asked, scowling. "Lydia's looking for Jackson and I need to find her." Stiles explained and she paled, quickly thinking.

"Okay, you search the lacrosse field. I'll check the pool and meet you at the field." she said and left, grabbing her jacket and purse on the way out. She checked the pool and Lydia wasn't there, so she headed for the lacrosse.

The evolved werewolf was halfway there when she heard Stiles scream "LYDIA! RUN!". Esmeray took off running, getting there in time to see her father looming over Lydia's bloody, still body.

"LYDIA!" she shrieked and put on a burst of speed. "What the hell, Dad!?" she demanded, pulling her best friend away from him. She started pulling Lydia's pain instantly, focusing on her friend.

"Stiles is coming with me." Peter said. "You, Esmeray, make sure she doesn't bleed out."

Esmeray glared at him but didn't move. Not until she heard Stiles's jeep drive away did she pull out her phone.

"Hi this is an emergency." she said. "Some animal attacked my friend Lydia at the lacrosse field and I need an ambulance." she said.

"Help is on the way." the operator said. "Make sure she doesn't bleed out."

Esmeray made a noise of agreement and the operator hung up. As she pulled as much of Lydia's pain as she could the blue eyed teenager tore off her jacket, using it as a tourniquet, listening to Lydia's heartbeat.

And for the first time since her hope faltered, since smoke choked her lungs and fire burned her flesh, she prayed to the moon goddess for help.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray tapped her foot nervously, trying to keep herself calm and not tear apart someone. Jackson entered shouting and she grimaced.

The Sheriff entered and grabbed Jackson, shoving him against the wall. "What the hell happened to her?" the Sheriff demanded. "I don't know, I didn't find her! It was Hale!" the Whittemore boy said.

Esmeray meet the Sheriff's eyes when he turned to her, letting Jackson go. "Lydia went missing and I went looking for her. I found her on the lacrosse field after she was attacked by an animal. I called 911 and here we are."

"Did you see the animal?" the Sheriff asked. Sort of.Esmeray thought but she looked the Sheriff in the eye. "No." she lied.

Esmeray's phone rang before she got yet another voice mail from Stiles. "God damn it!" she swore, gripping her phone tightly before she forced herself to loosen her grip and put her phone bag. She caught Allison's scent and began to follow it out of the building and she saw Allison get in a car. Her half sister glared at her, mouthing 'murderer' and got in before the car drove off.

Tears stung her eyes at being called a murderer though she had a pretty good guess at who was in the car with Allison.

Kate Argent.

In her wolf form, she ran through the woods as fast as she could go. A gunshot rang through the air and she made it to the ruins of her childhood home in time to see Kate pointing a gun at Scott.

Esmeray howled and tackled Kate, both of them going flying. She shifted back into her human form but a flash of pain flared up in her shoulder. She roared and ripped out an arrow.

She spun on her heel to see Allison reloading and she threw the arrow at her, the arrowhead breaking the skin of her cheek. Allison shrieked and dropped the bow.

"Kate!" Chris yelled, I know what you did. Put the gun down."

"I did what I was told to do." Kate said coldly.

"Nobody asked you to murder innocent people!" Chris yelled.

"None of them where innocent." the blonde Argent denied, giving her brother an incredulous look.

"Yes we were!" Esmeray shouted, flaring her golden eyes. "Aunt Talia, Uncle Jason, Uncle Nicholas, Uncle Caleb. All of them other than Auntie Talia had golden eyes. My cousins, Cora, Alyssa, Nathan, Helen, Nadia, Vanessa, all of them were innocent. My pack, Marianna, Jessica Lang, Daniel Lang, Thomas Beckett, Diego Lopez, his wife Maria Lopez, Rachel Pierce, Irina Black, siblings Jade and Jakob Bennett, William White, Olivia Jackson and her wife Carina Jackson, Henry Parker, me. All of us were innocent, and sentenced to die you decided just because we were part of the Hale Pack, less than human!"

"You aren't human." Kate scoffed.

"Olivia, Alyssa, Jessica, and Nadia were human." Esmeray snapped, seething in rage.

Argent spoke. "You're holding a gun to an innocent boy. We don't have any proof he spilled human blood. We go by the Code— Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent." Esmeray didn't recognize it, but Allison must have. The night was quiet enough that the translation reached everyone's ears.

"We hunt those who hunt us."

"Wow, no other guidelines about psychopathic hunters." Esmeray snarked. "Just kill and be racist to supernaturals just because of something most of us didn't preform a crime of other than being born supernatural." she mocked.

Chris pulled the gun he had behind his back and aimed it at his sister. "Put the gun down." Kate didn't move, so he fired a warning shot into the tree behind her. "Before I put you down."

The door creaked and she grinned slowly, her fangs showing. Everyone snapped to attention.

"Allison, get back." Chris shouted.

"What is it?" Allison asked, looking properly terrified. As if she now realized that she wasn't the biggest, baddest person in the moment.

"It's the Alpha." Scott said, and she could smell his panic-fear.

"Just Kate." Esmeray murmured softly.

Kate never looked away from the door but spoke to her. "Call him off."

The Hale girl let out a cold, dark laugh. An echo of the same laugh came from the house. Really? Kate thought she could get away with her crimes?

She bared her fangs. "I can't and I won't. He deserves this, I deserve this."

"Esmeray please. There has to be another way." Allison pleaded.

The raventte shook her head in disbelief. She damn well knew that Allison was going along with Kate's plans, even after seeing Kate torture her, saw Kate ready to kill Scott, and still wanted her aunt to be spared after all the crimes, the deaths that Kate had done and caused.

"No. You—" she pointed at Kate. "Are finally going to get what you deserve.

Kate shot her twice, once in the leg and the other in the shoulder. She roared in pain, crumbling down to her knees as she began to rapidly heal but she shoved her fingers into the injuries, pulling out the bullets. As she did that, Her father roared and shot out of the house, knocking down Chris and Allison swiftly. Scott was next, falling to the ground with a thud. All that was left was Kate.

Wait, where was Kate?

A strong arm pulled her to her feet and wrapped her in a head lock, a gun put next to her forehead. She growled as did her father.

"I'll shoot her!" Kate yelled.

Her father let a vicious, blood shilling snarl.

Kate didn't stop. "I'll finish what I started—killing all the Hales."

Something inside of Esmeray snapped and she bit down on the spot where she had bitten Kate days earlier. Her teeth went deep enough to break the bone. Kate screamed and the born werewolf snapped her head back, relish in the sound of bones breaking as she broke Kate' nose.

Kate let her go and she scrambled forward. Peter appeared, grabbing Kate by the arm, raising an eyebrow. "I bit her." she said, baring her blood stained fangs in a grotesque smile. "When she kidnapped me."

"Good." Peter said before dragging Kate into the house.

"NO!" Allison yelled and ran into the house. Esmeray followed and saw Peter standing behind Kate, claws at her throat.

Her father spoke, breaking the silence. "She is beautiful, Kate. She looks like Esmeray. So, I'm going to give you a chance to save her. Apologize. Say that you're sorry for decimating my family, my pack, for leaving me burned and broken for six years, for nearly killing my child. For stripping me of six years with my daughter. Say it... and I'll let her live."

"I'm sorry." Kate uttered.

Esmeray rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You really think you're going to live?" she rhetorically asked.

Peter's eyes glowed red and suddenly Kate fell to the floor, throat ripped out. Esmeray grinned darkly but paled slightly when a red glint took over Peter's eyes as he turned to Allison.

"Run." she told Allison as Scott and Derek appeared. Derek threw her back and she landed on the floor, crying out as the freshly healed bullet wounds broke open. Peter turned to her but Scott and Derek got in his way.

Esmeray howled as electricity surged through her body, her muscles freezing and locking up. She looked up to see Chris with a taser, an apologetic look on his face. "Cowardly, heart breaking, son of a bitch!" she cursed as Chris dragged her out of the house.

Her father howled and roared and she roared back, trying to get out of Chris's grip. Peter came out of the house in full werewolf form and suddenly, Jackson's porshe appeared.

Jackson and Stiles threw cocktails at Peter but he caught them. Scott tossed Allison her bow and she screamed, thrashing in Chris's grip and cursing her mouth off. "DON'T YOU DARE!" she screamed. "I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL KILL YOU ALL!"

Allison fired the arrow and her father went up in flames again and—

Fire burned at her skin, at her hair and she screamed. Then her father was there, pulling her away from the fire and out of the house but he was on fire too and he was suddenly still—

When she snapped out of it, she saw Derek standing over Peter. "Derek, wait!" Scott called. "You said that the cure comes from killing the one who bit you." He ignored her fierce tear-filled glare. "If you do this, I'm dead." He gestured at the Argents. "I'll never see her again."

Esmeray broke free from Chris and began stalking to Derek, shifting into her werewolf form. "Derek if you touch him—"

"Don't bother Stardust, he's... already... decided... I can smell it on him...!" her father coughed out.

Derek's claws rose and fell. Esmeray felt her pack bond with her father vanish, as if it had never been there before, had never existed. Derek turned around, eyes glowing red. "I'm the Alpha now." he declared.

Esmeray screamed, a wordless scream full of grief and anger. She lunged and threw him into the wall of the house, roaring. "How dare you!" she shrieked. "You killed the only family I have left! You don't count! You and Laura left me and Peter to ourselves, all but broke the pack bonds! She was a shitty Alpha and she deserved to die!"

Derek roared and she roared right back, not giving a damn. Their pack bond was broken now but so many of her pack bonds were broken anyways and the ravenette was out for blood.

"You two were safer without us!" Derek yelled. "No we weren't! We were omega's in all but name!" she spat. "You two should have stayed and helped us through it! But you ran like cowards! You weren't going to avenge us, avenge the pack, our family!"

"You can't just go around and kill—" she heard Allison start and she spun on her heel, a snarl escaping her as she stalked over to the Argents. Scott stepped in front of her but she pinned him with a death glare, side stepping him.

"Yes we can." Esmeray seethed. "You're a pathetic cowardly baby hunter, you don't understand what it's like to be a werewolf. We have wolf instincts along with our human ones! We work like wolf packs! We care for each other, support one another, and on the flip side we avenge our fallen and destroy those who attack us!" she roared.

She shifted back to her human form, but her bared her fangs. "So why do you idiots think he was killing people? All of those people were the people who murdered my family! My pack! Why do you think he killed Kate—she deserved it anyways, but she burned—" she gestured to the ruins of her childhood "down our house with all of us in it! You weren't in the house when it happened, when your family and pack were dying all around you!". She took a breathe but the phantom pain of her flesh being burned and the memories of smoke-fear-death flared up and fed her rage and grief.

"Kate said—" Allison started.

"Kate said." Esmeray mocked, disdain dripping from her words. "Kate said. Oh yes, trust the insane psychopathic mass murdering female Satan! Oh yes, its perfectly fine to trust the woman who kidnapped and tortured me! So after that, you still trusted her! On what basis? You didn't know? She was family? At the very least when it comes to supernatural code and my people's culture, my father had the right to get revenge. Just as your father, he can confirm it."

Chris nodded hesitantly.

Her anger and grief began to die down. "Get out." she said quietly. "Get out, every single one of you."

"Esmeray—" Scott started and she sensed him move closer. She pinned him with a death glare. "I said get out." she spat.

One by one, they all slipped away. Chris gave her the Argent necklace before leaving. Derek gave her a cautious look before also leaving the clearing.

Leaving her alone with her father's body.

Esmeray picked up her father's burned body, and took him into the Hale House, burying beneath the floorboards. She put the necklace on Kate's corpse, spitting on the dead Hunter.

She looked up at the moon—two days until the full moon.

Just a little over a month before the Worm Moon.

She glanced down at where her father was buried. "I'll bring you back." she whispered before hearing sirens. She shifted into her wolf form and ran off.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray quickly hurried through the woods. She had heard Lydia's scream and quietly broke into her room to get her scent, before heading out into the preserve to find her best friend. Right now she was in her wolf form, as her sense of smell was stronger in her wolf form.

She heard footsteps and a cedar and lemon scent hit her nose. She growled lowly and walked out of the bush to see Allison, Scott, and Stiles. All three of them froze.

"Esmeray." Scott said carefully. She had no qualms in baring her fangs at them all before running off in the direction of the Hale House. Scott ran after her but she quickly hurried into the house, knowing the smell of death would mask her own scent.

She carefully peered out and saw Scott stand around, looking confused. She jumped out a broken window and continued her search for Lydia. But she couldn't find her.

Art was without a doubt her favorite class. Esmeray was currently focused on her current project—a painting of a stormy sky and raging ocean, with a lighthouse on a cliff and a boat in the water, illuminated by a flash of lightning. "Esmeray please." Allison said softly. "Can we talk?"

"After what you did?" she snarled softly. Her inner wolf was growling for revenge for what Allison had done. "Never."

Her half sister grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop painting and Esmeray's blue eyes meet Allison's dark brown eyes. "I know I have no right to ask you for help, but please." the brunette said.

"I'm already looking for Lydia." the evolved werewolf said shortly. "Let me go."

"Not until you hear me out." the other girl said determinedly. Esmeray grabbed Allison's hand and easily removed the hand, squeezing tightly on Allison's wrist. The other girl whimpered in pain and Esmeray's inner wolf relished in the sound. "Let me make this very, very clear Allison." she softly whispered so nobody but Allison could hear her. "I owe you nothing, and you have no right to ask me for help."

"We're sisters. We share a father." Allison said, struggling to get out of Esmeray's grip. Esmeray laughed coldly and let her claws come out, piercing Allison's skin. Allison's blood stained her clothing and skin. "My father," she snarled. "Is dead. Chris Argent is just DNA donor and nothing else. I don't give a damn about you or him."

She jerked Allison closer, her claws drawing more blood. "I could kill you both and not loose a wink of sleep." she hissed before letting go of Allison and turning back to her painting.

In human form this time, Esmeray ran through the woods. She howled loudly, trying to signal to Lydia. She smelled a trap and jumped to the side before picking up her pace.

"LYDIA!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Esmeray!" a familiar voice called and Esmeray ran over to where she heard Lydia's voice. She quickly averted her eyes and tossed Lydia the bag she was carrying, which was full of spare clothes.

"You're my favorite friend." Lydia said. Esmeray turned her back to give Lydia some privacy and heard the rustle of clothe as the strawberry blonde got the clothes on.

Esmeray gave Lydia her jacket before escorting Lydia to where she heard police sirens. "I found her!" she called and everyone turned to her.

The Sheriff jogged over. "Where was she?"

"Opposite side of here, near look out point." Esmeray answered.

Lydia shivered. "I'm freezing, can I go home?"

"Yes, but let the paramedics take a look at you." the Sheriff said. Lydia nodded and let Stiles, who gave Esmeray a thankful look, to the ambulance. Esmeray followed, the Sheriff at her side.

"You're a hero, Ms.Hale." the Sheriff said. The raventte ducked her head, smilingly shyly. "She's my friend. Of course I went looking for her." she answered simply.

Lydia was pack after all. And pack helped each other.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"So you don't remember anything?" Esmeray asked as she walked with Lydia up the steps of the school. "Nope. They called it a 'fugue state'" which is basically a way of saying, We have no idea why you can't remember running through the woods naked for two days.".

The strawberry blonde shrugged. "I don't care— I lost nine pounds." Right after she said that Esmeray opened the doors and everyone stopped to stare at them. Esmeray employed her death glare as she wrapped an arm around Lydia's shoulders, guiding her best friend away.

She spotted Allison and scowled, and Lydia followed her line of sight, a frown appearing on her friends face when she saw the Argent girl. "Hi." Allison said. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Yes if Esmeray hadn't found me I would have died. And she even brought clothes for me—like the best friend she is." Lydia said. Esmeray smiled internally at that. "Yeah." Allison said awkwardly, eyes flickering between Lydia and Esmeray.

"So, you apologized for the Incident, right?" the Martin girl asked. "No." Esmeray said. "Stiles and Scott have already."

Lydia whistled. "And that a sign of being a bad friend, Allison."

"Your dad killed my aunt—"

"Who killed my pack and family!" the Hale girl snarled. "You saw Kate torturing me, and you still went with killing Scott and Derek? You are so easy to manipulate, Allison!"

Finishing her rant, she stormed away, heading for her first class before police sirens got her attention. She headed to the windows to see Isaac Lahey being put in a police car.

Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Scott.

Wonder Wolf: Derek bit Isaac. Isaac's a werewolf now.

Esmeray glanced at her watch—which had a nice addition of tracking the lunar phase— and a full moon popped up, much to her internal dismay.

You have got to be kidding me Derek. she thought, sighing. Her inner wolf stirred with the desire to help, but it wasn't as strong as it was with Scott. It had been stronger since she had been part of the Hale Pack back then, and she felt Scott as her packmate.

She still did.

But now she had left the Hale Pack, she was an Omega now, with no pack, no Alpha. Isaac was Derek's Beta now.

And Derek wasn't her Alpha.

"Derek bit Jackson." Lydia whispered from her spot next to her during history.

Esmeray's pencil snapped in half, getting everyone's attention. She gave an awkward smile and once the attention was off of her, she sighed. "So two new Beta's on the loose—Jackson will most likely be to arrogant to tie himself up and Isaac is in sheriff's department."

"You think the cells will hold him?" Lydia whispered.

"Nope." Esmeray said bluntly.

After school ended she headed for her car, which she had parked in a quiet corner of the parking lot. Only Derek and Scott where waiting for her.

"No. Isaac is your problem. Not mine." the blue eyed teenager said without missing a beat.

"I told you." Scott said, looking at Derek. "He's pack, Esmeray." her cousin said.

"He's not my pack. Scott is, not Isaac." Esmeray said, unsheathing her claws. Derek glared at her but she death glared him, causing him to walk away, leaving just her and Scott. "Sorry about that." Scott said, rubbing the back of his head.

Esmeray shrugged. "It's fine." A waif of hesitance came off of Scott before turning into determination. "I"m sorry for your dad. I really am—in hindsight we should have handled it differently." Scott said. Warmth filled up Esmeray's heart, and the pack bond between them became a little bit firmer, less strained. Her inner wolf let out a pleased rumble. "Thank you." she murmured. He nodded and quickly headed after Derek.

"And Scott? Tell your girlfriend to stop bothering me before I break her fingers." she called after him, which caused Scott to freeze. The born werewolf got in her car and started it up, making eye contact with Scott through her rear view mirror and she drove away.

Esmeray flipped through the pages of the family grimoire before finding the page on the Worm Moon.

The Worm Moon Ritual allows for a single person, human or supernatural, to be resurrected back to full health, though werewolves brought back will experience a period of weakness in powers, usually lasting a few months to a year depending on how long the time frame of death to resurrection. It requires the light of the moon on the corpse and the blood of an Alpha Werewolf.

Her brain stopped for a moment. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" she yelled.

Fuck this just a bit harder. she thought, getting up and looking at the moon. She jumped out her window and turned into her wolf form, running for the Sheriff's station.

Esmeray entered through the back door after finding that someone had turned the power and electricity of the station off. She began to follow the smell of Isaac's apples and night mist scent. She turned the corner to see him in full werewolf form with Stiles backing away.

She shifted into her werewolf form and lunged, grabbing him and throwing him into the wall. He clawed her cheek but she healed instantly, and she stabbed her claws into his abdomen. He roared and she roared right back.

Another roar erupted and Esmeray jerked back, letting go of Isaac. The roar was of power and will and the demand for her to obey.

Derek.

Esmeray grimaced, fighting it off as Isaac gasped, turning back into his human form. Without missing a beat she slammed his head into the ground, knocking him out cold. Shifting back into her human form, the born werewolf picked him up and dumped him in Derek's waiting arms. Confusion was written all over her cousin's face.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because he would have killed everyone." she shrugged. "And because Aunt Talia would be disappointed in me if I didn't help."

"Thank you." Stiles said and Esmeray nodded. Yells could be heard from further away. "You two better go." Stiles said. "You're coming as well. We don't want your dad to catch you." Esmeray said, grabbing Stiles and pulling him away with her as Derek carried Isaac out of the station.

"Thank you." Derek said once they where out. "And I'm sorry."

Tears welled up. "No you're not." Esmeray said before running away.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray watched in concern as Erica and Stiles got on the wall, only for Erica to freeze. Something hit Esmeray's nose and she remembered what Erica suffered from. "Coach, she's epileptic." she reminded him softly.

"Why doesn't anybody tell me this stuff?" the man exclaimed. "Erica, y-you're fine. Just-just kick off from the wall. Th-there's a mat to catch you. Come on." the blonde girl did as he said. "See? You're fine. You're on the ground. You're all right. Let's go. Shake it off. You're fine."

Esmeray glared at the kids who laughed at Erica. "You okay?" she asked Erica. Erica nodded mutely. "Thank you." the blonde girl said. The ravenette nodded, giving Erica's shoulder a comforting squeeze that drew a smile from the human girl.

"Listen up! Anybody sees Isaac Lahey, you immediately tell the principal. Get a teacher, or you call me." Finstock announced. "Except for you, Greenberg— don't call me for anything. I'm not kidding. Don't call me. You shouldn't even have my number."

"Isaac?" Lydia asked her softly. "He's Derek's problem now." the blue eyed teenager murmured.

"You felt that Erica was sick?" Esmeray repeated as she went over what Scott had told her, how he had sensed that Erica was sick and had caught her when she had fallen off of the climbing wall. Scott nodded. "Well, we can smell and sense emotions, and as a side effect, if someone's sick. Talia once told Olivia that she had the flu before the symptoms started showing."

Suddenly Jackson stormed over, looming over them. Esmeray gave him a blasé look. "What do you want, Jackass?" she snapped.

"Fix it." the Whittemore boy seethed.

"Fix what?" Stiles asked cautiously.

"Whatever kind of immunity Lydia gave to me, fix it." he demanded.

"There is no immunity. You turn or you die." Esmeray shrugged, getting up. She froze as the implications sank in that Lydia hadn't turned, which meant her best friend would die.

She quickly left, following Lydia's scent to the bathroom. "Lydia?" she called, hearing sniffles. The door opened, revealing a tearful Lydia. "Esme?" she asked.

Her inner wolf was ready to murder Jackson for what he had done to her best friend. "I'm going to kill him." the ravenette seethed.

"Esmeray no."

"Esmeray yes!"

Suddenly her best friend looked at something. "Excuse me, this is the lady's bathroom!" Lydia said, anger lacing her words.

The black haired werewolf looked around, but no one was in the restroom other than the two of them. "Lyds there's no one here." the werewolf said warily.

Lydia suddenly ran out of the bathroom and Esmeray followed her friend, who went up a floor, pausing at the top of the staircase. Esmeray stopped next to her and froze at the picture Lydia was looking at.

It was a picture of her father, young and full of life. Her throat welled up and tears formed in her eyes. Just a little bit longer. she told herself. Then he'll be back.

"Did you see him?" her best friend asked.

Esmeray shook her head. "He was there!" Lydia cried. "He—He looked like your dad."

Pieces fell in her mind. Her father must have known Lydia was some kind of supernatural, bit her to trigger her powers, and tied a bit of his spirit to her in case he died. "Lydia." she said. "We need to talk."

"I'm going insane!" Lydia yelled.

"If you're going insane then I'm going insane if what I think is going on is right." the born werewolf said, deadly serious.

They ended up skipping school—they were both straight A students, so Esmeray knew her grades and Lydia's grades wouldn't suffer. And that by the time they left, it was the second to last period.

"Your dad is haunting me!?" Lydia whisper-shouted.

"Yup. Tell him you know he's my dad and not to fuck with you. And that I say hi and I'll bring him back on the Worm Moon." Esmeray rattled off.

"You're supposed to tell me how to get him to haunt you and not me!"

"I'll work on that!"

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray waited for Lydia outside Ms.Morrell's office as her friend came out. "You didn't listen to anything, right?" Lydia asked.

"No I tuned it out." Esmeray promised, getting up and handing Lydia her bag. The two girls continued down the hallway. "So, I saw your dad again. He says hi and to be ready for the Worm Moon, whatever that means." the strawberry blonde said.

"I'm going to resurrect him on the Worm Moon." the born werewolf explained softly.

"Ah, Ms.Hale, Ms.Martin!" an elderly voice called out and she turned to see Gerard Argent and Allison Argent. "You are my granddaughter's friends, right?"

"Yes." Esmeray lied.

"I was curious if you wanted to come with us to the lacrosse game." Gerard said.

"I wasn't going, but Esmeray promised to go to fill me in on what's going to happen." Lydia said. Esmeray panicked on the inside. "I was, I was just going to drop off my bag." "We'll see you at the stands, Ms.Hale." Gerard called as Esmeray hurried away.

"Shit!" she swore, tossing her bag in her car. "SHIT!" she screamed, letting her eyes flash yellow as she punched a nearby wall, making a dent in the wall.

She walked slowly back to the field, spotting Allison wave her over. She threw the girl a subtle death glare as she joined her half sister and grandfather, praying to the moon goddess she would make it out alive.

She watched the game with boredom, tensing as Boyd joined the game. She meet Scott's eyes and she flicked her eyes to Boyd. Scott nodded, getting the silent command.

Keep an eye on him.

And it went well until Scott was hit by the ungodly huge player and sent flying. Esmeray could hear his leg bone break when he hit the ground and Allison quickly dashed onto the field.

"I hope he's okay." she said, getting up and offering a hand to Gerard. "Thank you, Ms.Hale." the elderly Hunter said as she helped him down the bleachers. She jogged over to Scott.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." Scott said.

"Scott!" Melissa said.

"It's okay. It's okay. I'm fine. I'm fine." Scott said. "I could have sworn I literally heard bone breaking from where I sat..." Melissa said incredulously. "Heard it? I felt it." Coach exclaimed. "Seriously, guys, I'm fine." the other werewolf said.

"We should go." Allison said. "Hold on— I want to ask him one more thing." Gerard said.

Chris Argent

Chris heard the door open. " Oh, good! You're back. Dinner's almost ready." Victoria said, and Chris followed her to the entrance hall. "How was the game?" he asked.

Gerard smiled, and that made Chris nervous. "Why don't you ask the star player?"

Chris noticed Scott but didn't hear his response, horror flooding his veins when he saw Esmeray behind Scott and Allison, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

Shit. he thought in panic.

He placed Esmeray as far away from Gerard as the table would allow as uncomfortable silence fell on the table.

"All right, why is everyone so quiet? Is it that uncomfortable that they dated?" Gerard said. "Did you ask them if they'd be uncomfortable?" he shot back tensely. "Okay, I know it's been a few centuries since I was a teenager, but even back then, we dated and broke up all the time." Gerard said exasperated.

"We're fine. Right, Scott?" Allison said. "Totally fine." Scott agreed. "Then why did you break up?" Gerard asked.

Because Allison is an Argent and Scott's a werewolf! he mentally screamed, before realizing it was the same reasoning he had broke Peter's heart. He glanced at Esmeray, guilt flooding his veins again.

Maybe if I hadn't, we could have worked it out... he thought sadly.

"We realized we were better as friends." Scott said. Allison nodded quickly and Esmeray's eyes conveyed how done she was with the two.

"So, Ms.Hale, how did you get your burn scar?" Gerard asked and Chris was a hair breath's away form murdering his father, even as his own eyes flickered to the burn scar on the side of his werewolf daughters neck.

"Well, you don't escape a burning house with locked doors and jumping out a burning second story window without getting a few permanent reminders." his daughter said, sarcasm and grief dripping off of her words.

"I'm sorry." Victoria said. Esmeray gave her a tight smile. "Thank you." she said.

I don't believe you. was unspoken but heard.

The ravenette's phone rang. "I'm sorry, I have to take this." his daughter said before quickly leaving the dining room.

Esmeray Hale

"There's a freaky lizard in the pool!" Lydia hissed.

Esmeray swore. "I'm coming."

She popped back into the dining room. "I'm so sorry, but I have to go. Something came up and—"

"Oh! I see, you're free to go." Victoria said.

"Thank you for dinner." Esmeray said, nodding her head and quickly leaving the Argent house. She jumped in her car and gunned it to the high school, parking and all but sprinting for the pool.

She body slammed into the lizard creature, causing it to fail. It threw her into the wall, roaring. She roared right back, shifting into her werewolf form as she grabbed a chunk of glass.

The lizard thing froze when it saw it's reflection, before running away. Without missing a beat she hurried to the pool, taking Derek from Stiles and dumping him on the floor as she helped Stiles out of the pool.

"Thank you." Stiles gasped out. "Same." Derek said.

"Thank Lydia. She saw it and called me."

"Lydia is a goddess." the Stilinski boy declared, falling flat on his back.

"Yes she is." Esmeray agreed. "Do we even know what that is?"

"A Kanima." Derek answered for her. "It's an abomination."

"You're going to kill it, aren't you?" she asked.

His silence was a confirmation.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

As Esmeray got ready for bed after a long night, her phone buzzed. She picked it up, frowning when she saw who it was.

Unknown Number: Esmeray, it's me, Chris.
Unknown Number: The night your father died, you broke your pack bond with Derek.

Esmeray raised her eyebrows but answered.

Hale: WTF do you want.
Unknown Number: Gerard knows about the Kanima. I think he has plans on more than just killing it like he claims.
Hale: It's Gerard. What do you expect?
Unknown Number: Good point. Good night, Esmeray.
Hale: Night Chris.

She turned off her phone, plugging it in and closing her blinds. She flopped onto her bed and she was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Esmeray was walking to Economics when she heard Erica and Isaac whispering. "So, Derek wants this done during chemistry?" Erica asked. "Yeah, and if it's Lydia, I'm gonna kill that bitch, all right?" Isaac answered.

Esmeray growled, getting the two new baby werewolves to look at her. "If you touch her, I will skin you alive starting with your teeth. Lydia's my packmate and I will kill you both." she whispered softly enough only they would hear her. Both of them paled, and giving them her infamous death glare, she made her way to economics.

She sat down next to Lydia. "Derek wants to test you to see if you're the Kanima." she whispered, having told Lydia the entirety of the pool story as the strawberry blonde had driven her home.

"Well shit." Lydia muttered, drumming her fingers.

"No shit." Esmeray grumbled.

The class went along without a beat.

"So we have to protect her from Isaac and Erica." Allison frowned as she walked with him and Stiles to chemistry. "When will they test her?"

"Right now." Stiles said as they entered the room. Scott's gaze landed on a familiar head of night-dark hair.

Esmeray.

"I think Esmeray's already on the job." he murmured, gesturing subtly to the two girls.

(He didn't know why his wolf let out a pleased sound at the sight of Esmeray.)

"Einstein once said, Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity... And I'm not sure about the universe. I myself have encountered infinite stupidity. So, to combat the plague of ignorance in my class, you're going to combine efforts through a round of group experiments! Let's see if two heads are indeed better than one. Or, in Stilinski's case, less than one." Harris said. Esmeray scowled when he insulted Stiles. "Erica, you take the first station. You'll start with—"

Almost all of the boys, and including a few girls, hands shot into the air. Esmeray could acknowledge that Erica was very beautiful, but the blonde werewolf's personality was a factor in Esmeray's lack of interest in her.

"I didn't ask for volunteers. Put your hormonal hands little hands down. Start with Mr. McCall." Harris ordered. "All right, next two!"

Unfortunately, she was paired with Allison. Esmeray ignored the brunette, focusing on the experiment in front of her. "Esmeray, they're planning—" Allison started. "I know." Esmeray said, keeping one eye on Lydia and Isaac.

By the final round, Esmeray was with Lydia. The two girls finished up the experiment and they had a piece of rock candy in front of them.

"This definitely has Kanima venom." Lydia said. "Most definetly." Esmeray agreed. Lydia casually dropped the rock candy. "Oops." the strawberry blonde said with a subtle smirk.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

The school day ended and Esmeray and Lydia made way to the parking lot. Only to find Isaac and Erica blocking their way. "She's coming with us." Erica said. "Move aside."

"HAHAHAHHA—no." Esmeray said, eyes glowing yellow and dropping her messenger bag. Erica charged and Esmeray neatly side stepped before grabbing the blonde and smashing her head into the ground.

Sensing Isaac she ducked and spin kicked him before sinking her fangs into his hand. He roared and she let him go, kicking his legs out from under him and smashing her head into his nose, breaking it. She then knocked him out.

"10/10." Lydia said, handing Esmeray her bag as they made way to the parking lot. "That was fun." Esmeray commented, grinning. Someone coughed behind her and she turned to see Stiles, Jackson, and Allison. The stench of envy was particularly pungent around Jackson.

"Yes?" Lydia asked impatiently.

"Let's go Scott's house." Stiles said. She nodded in agreement and the five headed to Scott's house. Stiles locked the door the moment they were all inside. "Lydia, we need to talk." Jackson said and grabbed Lydia's arm. Esmeray growled softly in warning and Jackson flinched slightly but Lydia followed Jackson upstairs.

"Now what?" Allison asked, peeking out the curtains. Esmeray sensed Derek, Erica, Isaac, and Boyd. "We wait." Esmeray said. "And Aunt Talia would be very disappointed in Derek right now."

She knew Derek would have heard that and the growl she heard from him made her smile.

Fifteen minutes passed before she heard the backdoor creak open. "Someone's in here." she said, getting up and turning her head to see Isaac. He lunged, tackling her to the ground. She unsheathed her claws and swiped at his face, slicing open the skin on his cheek. She dodged his claws and threw him off of her, noticing how Allison was gone.

"Bitch." Isaac spat.

"Debatable." she rasped and swung her claws. She smelled cedar and lemon and grinned.

Scott grabbed Isaac and slammed his face into the floor. Isaac roared and Esmeray hit him in the temple, knocking him out. Allison and Stiles came down, dragging a paralyzed Erica. She grabbed Erica, with Stiles opening the door and threw her out. Scott did the same for Isaac.

Derek looked mad an annoyed. "Now I see why you keep rejecting me Scott... you're already an Alpha of your own pack." The Hale girl internally paused, she considered Scott pack but her Alpha? Not really. "But you can't beat me."

"I can hold you off until the cops come." the McCall boy countered. The raventte could sirens in the distance.

Lydia suddenly came running out of the house. "It's here!" she cried.

A loud hissing noise was here and Esmeray grabbed Lydia, shoving her friend behind her. The Kanima was perched on the roof.

And there was only one person unaccounted for...

"It's Jackson." Scott said.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

" I need you to promise that you won't say anything about Scott and I." Allison said, anxiety dripping off of her words as she repeated what she said for the fiftieth time. The scent of the brunette's nervousness was so strong Esmeray nearly gagged on it.

"We won't." Lydia said.

"But I will if you don't shut up." Esmeray snapped, parking the car. She didn't know why, but the thought of Allison and Scott made her inner wolf give her the urge to rip something—or someone—into pieces.

"Thank you for the ride and protection today." Lydia said to both of them before getting out.

Esmeray started up the car and drove away, ignoring Allison until they reached the neighborhood that the Argent House was in. She was a werewolf, she wasn't going to drive right up to the Argent household.

Allison got out without a word, but Esmeray heard the soft 'thank you'.

The very first thing Esmeray noticed when she got to school were the security cameras. She knew that Gerard was the new principal, so the evolved werewolf silently guessed that this was the Hunter's way to keep an eye on the supernatural population. She also noted that Stiles nor Jackson were not at school the entire day.

The next day brought the gossip that Stiles had kidnapped Jackson and held him in a prison transport vehicle. Lydia sat next to her while in art class as Esmeray concentrated on her painting. "Someone is controlling the Kanima." the strawberry blonde murmured. It was so soft no one but Esmeray, with her preternatural hearing, could hear the words.

"So a puppet master and its puppet. Jackson is the puppet, but we have no clue who the puppet master is." Esmeray whispered back.

Lydia nodded. "I was able translated more of the Argent Bestiary than what I told Allison. Here's what I got." Lydia said, and slipped her the papers.

"You are the greatest friend a girl could ever have." Esmeray grinned, taking them. "I'll compare these with the family grimoire."

The rest of the day went smoothly and as she headed to Coach Finstock's office, Scott was suddenly thrown out of the boy's locker room. Jackson stormed out of the room and Esmeray grabbed Scott, restraining him when the McCall werewolf tried to lunge at Jackson.

"Not here. Not know." Esmeray hissed into his ear. "Stand down now."

Scott growled but stopped struggling against her, but she still kept a tight grip on him. Another brown haired boy, Matt, she recognized from her freshman Algebra class, restrained Jackson as Erica, Stiles, and Mr.Harris appeared.

"What do you idiots think you're doing?" Harris asked. "You, and you— actually, all of you— detention. Three o'clock."

Esmeray wanted to protest but opted to keep her mouth shut. At three o'clock she headed for the library and sat at a table, with Scott and Stiles soon joining her.

"I'm gonna kill him." Scott muttered. The blue eyed teenager was unnerved to hear Scott of all people say that.

"No, you're not. You're going to find out who's controlling him and then you're gonna help save him." Stiles corrected.

"No, you were right— let's kill him." Scott hissed.

"No one is killing anyone. And what did he say?" Esmeray groaned.

Scott was quiet before he spoke. "When we were fighting, he talked about touching you."

The venom in his voice was completely off character for the usually gentle werewolf, but his side of their pack-bond was roaring with anger-rage-protect.

Esmeray was touched and almost flattered.

She bared her fangs, just as pissed off as her inner wolf was. "You know what, let's kill him."

"Oh god." Stiles muttered, running a hand down his face.

A tense silence fell over their table.

Stiles spoke, a contemplative look on his face as he broke the silence. "Hey, what if it's Matt? I mean, this whole thing comes back to the video, right?"

"Danny said that Matt was the one who found the two hours of footage missing." Scott said.

"Exactly! He's trying to throw suspicion off himself." Stiles said.

"So, he makes Jackson kill Isaac's dad, one of Argent's Hunters, and the mechanic working on your Jeep?" Scott listed.

"Yes!" Stiles answered.

"Why would he do all that?" Esmeray asked. "He would need to have a reason behind murdering them. What would all of them have done to get Matt to want them dead?"

"Because he's evil." Stiles insisted. Scott sighed. "You just don't like him."

"The guy bugs me. I don't know what it is. Just look at his face!" Stiles answered.

Esmeray glanced at Matt. Something about him seemed off. "You could be right. Your subconscious could be recognizing danger you can't explain. I read about it in a psychology book." she whispered.

"Thank you." Stiles said, beaming proudly.

"Any other theories?" Scott asked. "He seems off too, but let's keep an open mind."

"Well... Chris said that he thinks Gerard has bigger plans for the Kanima. If there's a Kanima Master, Gerard might be planning to become the Kanima Master." the evolved werewolf said. "And Gerard is just like Kate but worse."

Jackson suddenly got up a left. Harris followed. Esmeray got up and made a beeline for Erica, the two brunet's following her. "Stiles says you know how Jackson's parents died." Scott said.

"Maybe." Erica evasively answered.

"Erica please." Esmeray asked. "Look, I'm sorry for my early attitude towards you but right now, we need all hands on deck to find the Kanima master before Gerard finds out so he can become the Kanima Master."

Alarm reeked off of Erica. "It was a car accident. My dad was the insurance investigator, and every time he sees Jackson drive by in his Porsche, he makes some comment about the huge settlement he'll be getting when he's eighteen."

Stiles frowned. "So, not only is Jackson rich now, but he's getting even richer at eighteen?"

"Yup." Erica confirmed.

"There's something so deeply wrong with that." Stiles muttered.

"Not the time, Stiles." Esmeray and Scott said at the same time.

"You know what? I could try to find the insurance report on my dad's inbox. He keeps everything." Erica said, opening up her laptop.

The PA system turned on. "Scott McCall, please report to the principal's office." the voice said before turning off.

Esmeray immediately looked at Scott. "What did you do?".

"Nothing!" Scott protested. Esmeray raised her eyebrows, fixing him with an 'I don't believe that' look.

Scott ducked his head sheepishly but left.

"My god just kiss already." Erica said.

"Erica!" the evolved werewolf squeaked.

Soon they found out the dates. Esmeray couldn't help but feel sympathy for Jackson when she learned of the events around his birth— he was literally born from his mother's corpse.

Harris stood up and Esmeray grabbed her bag, sensing the others do the same. "Oh, no, I'm sorry. Uh, yes, I'm leaving, but none of you are. You may go when you're done with the re-shelving." Harris said, smugness radiating off of him as he placed a hand on the cart. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

"I hope he dies a horrible death." Esmeray hissed, her words more petty than anything. Reluctantly she grabbed a cart and started the task.

As she put the books back in place, she heard claws come out. She spun around but Jackson's venomous claws stabbed her spine and she gasped, feeling the venom enter her system. He grabbed her heard and slammed her into the floor, knocking her out cold.

Esmeray groaned, her blue eyes blinking awake. She smelled Derek's scent and sat up, growling.

"Oh thank goodness, you're okay." Erica's voice said. The blonde passed her some water and she took it, gingerly sitting up. She spotted Derek, Scott, Stiles, and Erica and frowned.

"What the hell happened?" she asked. "Jackson went Kanima and he got you pretty good." Scott explained, taking some of her pain. She gave him a quick smile.

"And if you join my pack, we'll just catch Jackson." Derek said. Esmeray listened to his heart beat, and kept silence when she heard it falter.

"Just catching him." she stressed.

Derek nodded in agreement.

And the Hale girl felt the broken pack bond between them quietly began to mend.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray heard two footsteps approach the clinic. "They're here." she murmured. Deaton nodded to Scott, who quickly left the backroom. Deaton left after Scott and Esmeray quietly listened to the ensuing exchange before Scott and Deaton, followed by Derek and Isaac, entered the room.

Isaac gave her a small nod which she returned while Derek gave her a curt look. She rolled her eyes in response. Isaac reached out to grab a jar but Derek grabbed his wrist. "Watch what you touch." Derek said. "So, what are you, some kind of witch?" the blue eyed bitten werewolf asked.

"He's a Druid." Esmeray said. "Druid's ally with werewolf packs and act as advisors and emissaries. Deaton is the Druid for our pack." She realized what she said but kept her face blank, spotting the small hopeful look Derek sent her.

"Esmeray is correct." Deaton said, placing down a tray of jars filled with herbs and what not. "Unfortunately, I don't see anything here that's going to be an effective defense against a paralytic toxin."

"We're open to suggestions." her cousin stated. "What about an effective offense?" Isaac said. "We already tried— I nearly took its head off, and Argent emptied an entire clip into it. The thing just gets back up." Derek disagreed. "Has it shown any weaknesses?" Deaton asked.

"I don't think it can swim." Esmeray said. Derek nodded. "It can't."

"Does that go for Jackson as well?" Deaton asked. "No, he's the captain of the swim team." Scott said. Esmeray frowned, thinking it over. "So Jackson-Jackson isn't afraid of water, but if Kanima-Jackson is, then the fear of water could be coming from the Kanima Master instead." she said.

"That actually makes since." Scott muttered. "So its kinda like a puppet master controlling the movements of the puppet, but also passing down its fears." Isaac summarized.

"Yes." Deaton agreed, digging through the draws and pulling out a metal charm. The blue eyed werewolf recognized it as a ward against evil. "Essentially, you're trying to catch two people— a puppet, and a puppeteer. One killed the husband, but the other had to take care of the wife. Do we know why?"

"I don't think Jackson could do it. His mother died pregnant, too, and she was maybe murdered. I think he couldn't let the same thing happen to someone else." Scott said. Oh Scott, you're always seeing the best in everyone. Esmeray thought. Her inner wolf let out a chirping noise and she frowned, not knowing why it was always acting that way around the brown haired werewolf.

"How do you know it's not part of the rules? The Kanima kills murderers. If Jackson kills the wife, then the baby dies, too." Isaac said cynically. "Does that mean your father was a murderer?" Scott countered.

The Hale girl kept her face blank as everyone who knew of her father's murders glanced at her.

"Wouldn't surprise me if he was." Isaac said grimly.

"Wait, if the fear of water is coming from the master, what if the bond goes both ways?" Deaton said. "The Kanima is technically a supernatural creature. Mountain ash would affect the Kanima, and possibly the Kanima master?"

"Mountain ash?" Isaac echoed, lost. He doesn't know!?! she thought alarmed. She turned to Derek, eyes wide. "You didn't tell him?" Derek winced. "Isaac, Mountain ash is the burned form of rowan wood. If used in a complete circle, it can keep a supernatural out of a building. Or trapped in. We can't touch or cross a mountain ash barrier." the born werewolf told the blonde boy.

Isaac inhaled sharply. "That's what she made Stiles use to trap me in for my first full moon." Scott commented.

"So we can trap the Kanima master and Jackson with a Mountain ash barrier?" Derek said. "If the theory is right, then yes." the Druid said with a nod.

The next night, she texted Lydia the plan and her best friend confirmed she wouldn't be at the rave. After that, Esmeray got dressed. She opted for a long sleeve lavender crop top paired with a black cardigan, along with a high waisted black skirt and leggings to go underneath the skirt with boots.

"Text me if you need anything." Deaton said as she headed out. "Be careful." "I will, I promise." the werewolf said before shifting into a wolf and running to the warehouse district.

On a whim, she howled into the night.

She shifted back into her human form with ease, once again glad that after her first turn into a wolf, she no longer lost any of her clothes with her transformations. She headed to the rave, entering the building and grimacing at the sudden blare to her senses.

She spotted Scott and Allison arguing before Scott stormed off. She headed over, falling in step. "Trouble in paradise?" she asked. "Allison told your guys dad that Jackson is here." Scott informed her, dodging her question. "Her dad." she corrected. Scott hummed in acknowledgement. "But yes, Allison telling her dad risks the plan. They'll most likely kill him, not save him. As they usually do." Esmeray said bitterly.

"I'll tell Isaac. You inform Derek that hunters are here." Scott said. Esmeray nodded and pulled out her phone, dialing Derek's number. "What?" her cousin demanded. "Allison told her dad that Jackson would be here. Now they're here in droves. Be careful." she warned before hanging up.

Esmeray spotted Isaac and Erika make way towards Jackson. She silently entered the crowd, and punched Jackson in the temple with all of her strength. He crumpled down and she caught him.

"Thanks." Erika said. Esmeray nodded before a horrible feeling crept down her and Scott's bond. "Take him. I'm going to find Scott." she said and rushed out.

She followed Scott's scent, the cedar and lemon leading her to a door. She shoved open the door and immediately, blood filled her mouth and wolfsbane hit her nose. Victoria Argent stepped away with a satisfied smile and Esmeray choked up blood, sinking to her knees as she desperately tried to stop the bleeding from her neck.

"Well, that takes care of two birds with one stone. And I get rid of my husband's bastard as well." Victoria sneered. "Fuck you." Esmeray spat, blood bubbling from her lips. Her healing was failing, the wolfsbane filling the room making sure of it.

"Esmeray..." Scott coughed.

Why is it getting so hard to breathe? the black haired werewolf thought, curling in on herself as it got harder and harder to breathe, as darkness crept up on her.

She let out a cough and closed her eyes.

Derek Hale

He froze the moment he felt the pack bond with Esmeray snap. Boyd jolted, eyes wide.

"No." Derek whispered. "No, no no!"

He took off. "Esmeray!" he yelled, pushing his legs. He followed the smell of blood, wolfsbane, and Scott and Esmeray's scents. He heard two heartbeats, one which was getting faint (Scott, his inner wolf supplied), but the other was steady.

A Hunter.

He slammed the door open, seeing Scott's still body and Esmeray's corpse, blood covering her neck and chest. He grabbed the knife before it could hit him and threw the Hunter, Victoria Argent, into the wall. "Take them!" he barked at Boyd, whom he had made sure gotten out of the firefight with the Argents alive.

He growled and flashed his eyes, his blood, his inner wolf, roaring for revenge. He sank his fangs into Victoria's shoulder before letting go and rushing out of the room. He saw Argent approach, looking horrified.

"Derek—" "Your wife killed my cousin." he snapped. "All you Argents do is destroy, not protect. All you do is kill my family. I hope you die alone." he snarled.

Argent looked like a ghost, and Derek felt vicious satisfaction in that before taking off after Boyd. He flared out a retreat down his surviving pack bonds.

I'm sorry. Derek thought.

He didn't know who he was apologized to, but it felt right too.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"Hello?" Esmeray called, wandering through the forest. "Anyone? Dad? Papa!?" she called.

A low growl sounded and she turned around, seeing a large black wolf. "Auntie." she greeted. The wolf lunged and turned mid lunge, and her aunt Talia hit the leaf covered ground.

"Esmeray." Talia greeted her warmly. "Where's dad? Is he here?" Esmeray asked, before her shoulders slumped forward. "Wait, he's tied himself to Lydia." Talia nodded. "Yes. And because of that, he is not here."

"The Afterlife?" Esmeray frowned. "The In-between plane." Talia corrected. "This is where souls go who aren't yet ready to cross over." "My body's healing itself." Esmeray realized, looking down at her soul. She was wearing the clothes she had died in, but no longer covered in blood.

"Yup." Talia said, taking her hand and showing her to a river. In the water, she saw her body on her bed, rapidly healing. "The full moon is close, which is why your body is still healing itself."

"If the Hunters hadn't cut Laura in half, would she had come back?" Esmeray asked. Talia nodded, smiling sadly. "Yes. But she would have come back a Beta, since Peter had already inherited the Alpha spark."

"Now, Esmeray, you have a choice. You can stay here, and cross over. Or you can go back, but be careful. There will be a small darkness around your heart for the rest of your life." Talia said.

She frowned, thinking. "I can't leave them yet." the ravenette said. "I would love to see everyone again but I can't leave my pack yet." "I knew you would say that. But remember this, Esmeray. Death will one day take your soul permanently." the deceased Hale Alpha said. "Tell Derek I say hello."

"I know. I'll be happy to see everyone again that day. But I still have a life to live." the younger werewolf said. "Jump into the river now." Talia commanded. She hugged her aunt before jumping into the river, letting the water submerge her and wash her away.

Esmeray gasped, shooting up in her bed. "Esme!" a familiar voice cried and tackled her. "Oof!" she grunted, feeling Lydia hug her tightly. "Hey Lyds." she greeted. Lydia suddenly slapped her. "Don't you dare do that again!" the strawberry blonde sniffled.

"I won't! And I didn't ask for Victoria fucking Argent to kill me!" Esmeray said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. She was dressed in black sweatpants and a black sports bra. "How long was I out?"

"A day." Lydia said, hugging her. She hugged her back.

Her stomach growled and she got up, stumbling slightly. Lydia hurried over, steadying her. "Thanks." she murmured, squeezing Lydia's hand before opening the door. While the lights were off, she flared her wolf eyes and headed down the hallway.

"Wait—" Lydia said but the blue eyed teenager had reached the light switch and turned the lights on.

And was greeted with the sight of Scott, Stiles, Derek, Erika, Boyd, and Isaac sprawled about in the living room. They all snapped awake and turned to her, eyes wide.

Esmeray realized with dread that her burn scars were very visible. "Hi?" she said weakly, spotting how the werewolves and one human took in her burns.

Erika moved first, taking her in a tight hug. Esmeray tentatively hugged back, feeling her pack bond with Erika flare brightly before she was jumped by Isaac and Stiles. They fell to the floor and Esmeray groaned in pain. "Guys I just came back." she murmured.

Scott offered her a hand and she took it. "Thanks." she said, noticing with amusement how he kept his eyes right on her face. Lydia handed her a sweater and she took it, putting it on.

"So, how was it being dead?" Stiles asked her as she sat down on the couch. "Not fun." she said dryly. "I saw Auntie Talia in the In-between Plane. She says hi, Derek."

"In-between Plane?" Boyd murmured, his eyebrows furrowed. "Not now. What's the plan for Jackson?" Esmeray asked.

"He got to his victim and now he's gone." Derek grumbled. "Argent learned about what happened to you." Boyd added.

"And if I remember Hunter protocols correctly," Deaton said and she sent a smile at him. "Victoria will be facing severe consequences for attacking two underaged werewolves, both of whom have gold eyes, and killing one of them."

"As if she'll actually face consequences." Erika muttered, sitting on her right while Lydia claimed her left.

"Well," Derek cleared his throat, getting Esmeray's (and everyone else's) attention. "I bite Victoria."

Esmeray and Lydia groaned. "That means she'll have to kill herself before she first turns." Lydia pointed out.

"When a Hunter gets bitten, they must kill themself before they turn." Deaton explained to the rest.

"The full moon is tomorrow night." Stiles said.

Esmeray's eyes widened. That meant she had a narrow timestamp to resurrect her father.

"Oh shit." Isaac deadpanned.

Chapter Text

Chris Argent

"You tried to kill them?!?" Chris seethed, glaring at Victoria. "They were werewolves!" Victoria snapped. "Innocent werewolves!" he shouted. "They had golden eyes Victoria! They're just kids!"

She's my daughter. he thought, remembering seeing Esmeray's still corpse.

Victoria scoffed. "There are no innocent werewolves, Chris." she said, getting up and heading down to the basement.

Yes there are. Chris thought. He felt his love for his family slowly die, and he began debating the merits of jumping ship.

"It's the full moon tonight." Deaton reminded her. "Do you think you can control yourself."

"I can." Esmeray assured him. "I'll be in the preserve tonight, just running around in my wolf form." Deaton fixed her with a look but she gave him her best innocent smile before he sighed. "Alright. Be safe, and if you see a Hunter you come right back." he instructed sternly.

"I will." she promised, hugging him. He hugged her back and she left the house, shifting into her wolf form.

She made it to the house ruins and turned back into her human form, quickly walking in. She checked to make sure everything was in place before taking a deep breath.

She took a deep breath and let it out, calming herself. "Okay. Let's do this." she said, psyching herself up for the task ahead of her.

Derek's phone rang and he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Derek?" Esmeray's terrified voice came. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I—I went to the preserve for tonight, but now I'm in the house. Can you come get me?" his cousin stammered.

"Can't you get out by yourself?" he asked, but worry filled him up.

"Because I think there's something in here with me." the evolved Werewolf said, and Derek could feel her terror flooding the pack bond.

"Fuck, I'm coming." Derek said, and noticed someone making a mountain ash barrier. "I'm assuming you asked Lydia to make a barrier?"

"Better safe than sorry—" she was cut off when Esmeray screamed suddenly.

"Hold on!" Derek said, grabbing his shirt and jacket and rushing off.

He made it to the Hale House Ruins, cautiously approaching. He flared his senses, but all he could pick up was Esmeray's terror and... something else.

Fear, maybe?

"Esmeray!" he called, carefully entering the building. He heard a creak and turned around, only to be hit by wolfsbane petals.

Esmeray grunted as she dragged Derek to the living room. She uncovered the floorboards and then the mirrors. She grabbed Derek's arm and placed in her father's hands. The claws pierced Derek's skin, and his blood fell onto her father's skin.

There was a pause before a surge of energy made Esmeray take a small step back. Her pack bond with her father flickered before coming stronger. His eyes snapped open and he surged up, coughing. He looked perfectly fine.

"Daddy?" she asked, voice trembling.

"Hey Stardust. Care to give me a hug?" her father asked.

She pointed to the pile of clothes she had assembled. "Not until you put those on and shower five times."

"Love you too kiddo." Peter grunted, getting out of the hole. She closed her eyes as he got dressed. "Love you too Dad." she said, pouring all of her emotions into the words.

Chapter Text

Derek Hale

Derek coughed, getting up. He sensed Deaton in the room and turned to the Druid. "Those sounds... What was it?" he asked, wincing at the memory of the noises.

"You're going to be weak for several hours." Deaton said, handing him a clean shirt. He quickly threw it on. He looked around the room, seeing the busted floorboards. Esmeray's scent lingered around the room, along with the scent of death and magic. And the scent of—

"What did she do?!" he snarled, his inner wolf howling with rage.

"Esmeray brought back her father." Deaton said. "I have to admit, she inherited his manipulation and lying skills. I didn't realize what she was doing until I found this—" he held out one of the Hale family grimoires "On her desk."

"What did she do?" he repeated, still seething. "A resurrection ritual." Deaton answered. "She used the Worm moon and your blood to bring back Peter—and I really can't blame her. Don't worry, you're still an Alpha werewolf."

"I can feel that." he sighed. His pack bond with Scott flared. "And Scott's in trouble. Again."

Scott was mildly panicking, heart racing as he tried to think of a way to contact someone, anyone. Derek he knew would have picked up on it, but Isaac, Boyd, and Erika hadn't. He seized onto his bond with Esmeray, bright and healthy as if she had never died—

He tried to ignore the horrible moment when his bond with Esmeray had snapped, had broken as if it had never been there, as he focused on what he was going to do.

Trap—Sheriff's station—Kanima he projected down the bond as loud and hard as he could.

Trap—Sheriff's station—Kanima suddenly came down her bond with Scott. Her inner wolf whined, urging her to go to his aid.

"Dad, something's wrong." Esmeray called, looking over her shoulder as her father entered the room, wearing clean clothes. After he had come back to life, he had taken her to an apartment he had in down town Beacon Hills. "It's Scott—the Kanima's at the Sheriff's station."

"And he told you all of this through your pack bond?" he frowned. "Yeah." she shrugged. Her father pursed his lips but nodded. "Let's go and kill this damn thing. Then we're planning where we're going for summer vacation."

"Can we afford it?" "Stardust, you know we're insanely rich right? More than the Whittmore's." her father said.

When they reached the station, she stuck to the shadows with her father. The Argents tossed in smoke grenades in and she grimaced. "I'd say five to ten minutes before the Kanima master flees." she whispered.

"Make it three." Peter muttered, blue eyes—the exact same shade as her own—glinting in the moonlight. Once the Argents were inside, Esmeray entered the building. She heard the Sheriff yelling from somewhere further in the station. She went running down that way before she sensed a crossbow bolt flying in her direction. She caught it before it hit her without even looking.

"You bastard." Allison seethed as she loaded another arrow.

"Wow, like mother and daughter. Killing innocent werewolves." she snarked, breaking the arrow in half.

"Where's Derek?" Allison demanded.

Esmeray rolled her eyes. "And why should I tell you?"

"Derek killed my mother." Allison spat venomously.

"And your mother killed me." Esmeray snapped. "Derek bit her without probably realizing it when they fought, and your mother made her choice. She killed herself. Derek didn't."

Allison stormed past her, glaring at her before rounding the corner.

Scott's scent hit her nose and she turned to face him, the brown eyed werewolf looking pale.

"Well, we have a possible Kate 2.0 on our hands." the ravenette said.

Scott shook his head. "No, we can still try and save her. Come on, this way."

Esmeray followed him to the cell room. The Kanima was in there and Scott roared, shifting and surging forward. She shifted as well, ignoring the fight—and Derek, oh dear he was there— as she pulled the Sheriff out of the way, spotting Stiles there as well. Stiles looked at her, asking her a wordless question. "He's alive." she said, hearing the Sheriff's heartbeat.

Melissa came over, looking hesitant. Esmeray flashed her eyes and the nurse flinched and Esmeray sighed.

Another person in on the supernatural secret of Beacon Hills.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray noticed Boyd and Erica leaving the house when she and her father arrived. She quietly entered the house, and caught the mirror shard Derek threw at her. Her father let out a small warning growl. "Hi?" she said weakly, noticing his death glare. She knew it shifted onto her father when Derek let out a low growl.

"It's quite a situation you've gotten yourself in here, Derek..." her father said, walking over. "I mean, I'm out of commission for a few weeks, and suddenly there's lizard-people, geriatric psychopaths, and you're cooking up Werewolves from every self-esteem-deprived adolescent in town."

"Please don't antagonize him." Esmeray pleaded. I can't lose you again. she thought, and her father gave her a small smile before his mask came on again. "What do you want?" Derek snapped irritably.

"Well, I want to help. You're my nephew— the one of the two relatives I have left. You know, there's still a lot that I can teach you..." her father said. She cleared her throat to get their attention. "Can we talk? Please?" she asked.

"Sure let's talk— let's talk on why you used my blood to bring him—" Derek pointed to Peter. "Back from the fucking dead!"

"You killed him! What was I suppose to do!" the blue eyed werewolf shouted. "Let him stay dead! Respect the cycle of death and life!" Derek yelled, eyes flashing red. "He's all I had left! For six fucking years! Sure Satomi helped me learn control but for six years Dad was all I had left of this fucking family!" she shrieked. "And then you killed him, right in front of me! After I just got him back!"

"He killed Laura!" Derek yelled, glaring at Peter.

Her father glared right back. "Okay, I'm going to clear something up. I wasn't in full control when I was in the woods tonight. Imagine things from my perspective, Derek. I had just spent six years in a coma, but I wasn't sleeping. I was cognizant, I was fully awake but my body wasn't. I couldn't tap into my inner wolf, and all of my pack bonds except for Esmeray's were dead. All I had was the moon, empowering me, healing me. And then my body woke up. And I couldn't help it—I had to go out into the woods. I had to feel the moon again, feel my wolf again. To be free, even for a few hours. And Laura was there. She approached me but I had worse control then a newly turned wolf on their full moon. I had no human instincts, all there was my wolf, desperate to heal me, to get my hands on anything, something, that could save me." Peter ranted. He took a breath. "The Alpha spark gave me the boost."

"You weren't there that night." Esmeray whispered, remembering how one by one, her pack bonds had snapped, had vanished. How Laura and Derek had just left them. Peter squeezed her shoulder. "I killed Laura. I did, but I wasn't aware I did it until the full moon was over and I realized I was an Alpha."

Derek reeked of horror, guilt, and sadness. "Fuck. I... I'm so sorry. I didn't think of anything through you two's perspective."

"You were grieving too." she said tiredly. Derek let out a mirthless laugh. "I helped Kate, but I wasn't affected as you guys were. I should have been in the fire."

I should have died. was left unspoken but Esmeray heard it loud and clear. "Derek, no. We've had our disagreements but there is no world I would wish for you to have been in the house when the fire started." she absent mindedly rubbed the burn on her neck. "You could have been killed, or put into a same state as Dad."

"Which I also something I don't wish anyone, not even Gerard, to experience." her father shuddered. He hardened. "But right now, Gerard might as well do another Hale House onto some other pack if we don't stop him. And I know something that could stop Jackson."

"You know how to kill him?" Derek asked. "More like how to save him." Peter shrugged, heading towards the stairs to sit down. She followed but her phone dinged, and she stepped aside to answer it.

Argent: We caught Boyd and Erica. I'll try to release them when I have the moment.
Hale: K. Plotting to take down Smarter and Eviler Tywin Lannister

For a moment, the raven haired werewolf paused, debating to tell Chris that Peter was alive. After all, they were mates... but then again, it wasn't her call to make. She turned back to her family, walking over.

"So you don't know how to kill him?" Derek said. "I know how to save him, actually." her father corrected. "There's a myth that you can cure a Werewolf simply by calling out its Christian name." Her cousin scoffed. "It's just a myth."

"Werewolves are myths." she chirped. "And here we are."

"Touche." Derek muttered. " Sometimes myths and legends bear a hint of truth. Our name is a symbol of who we are. The Kanima has no identity-- that's why it doesn't seek a pack." Peter continued. "It seeks a master." Derek finished. "And who else grows up with no pack? No identity?" her formerly deceased father said.

"Orphans." she said slowly. "Like Jackson."

"Like Jackson. And right now, his identity is disappearing beneath a reptilian skin, and you need to bring him back." Peter said. "How?" she asked at the same time as Derek.

"Through his heart." her father said. "He never had one to begin with." Esmeray said dryly. " Not true. He'd never admit it, but there is one person-- one person with whom Jackson shared a real bond. One person who can reach him. Who can save him." her father said.

She quickly realized what he meant. "Lydia." Derek said, eyes going wide.

"Your best ally has always been anger, Derek, but what you lack most is a heart. That's why you've always known that you need Scott more than anyone. And even somebody as burned and dead on the inside as me knows better than to underestimate the simple yet undeniable power of love." Peter said, standing up.

Her phone rang and she saw it was Scott. She answered, worry building up.

"Yeah Scott?" she asked. "Were are you?!" he shouted, worry seeping through his voice and their pack bond. "At the Hale House? Why?"

"It's Jackson." Scott answered and she stiffened, as did her father and cousin. "What did he do?" she demanded.

"Nothing. That's the thing—he's dead!" Scott said.

Holy shit. she thought.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

After Derek drove them to the high school, they followed Scott and Isaac's scent to the locker rooms, quietly slipping in without anyone noticing them. "—get his shirt, and I get a shoe?" she heard Isaac ask.

She entered the room. "Guys?" she called, walking over. Scott and Isaac turned around. "Oh good, you're safe." Scott said, eyes taking her in. She nodded. "I am, and I brought company."

"We need to talk." Derek announced. She sensed her father walk up behind her and Scott's eyes went wide. "All of us." Peter clarified. "Holy sh—" Scott started.

She snorted—she had never thought she would hear the day Scott "Sunshine Incarnate" McCall would swear. "What the hell is this??" Scott yelled, eyes darting between her, Derek, and Peter.

"You know, I thought the same thing when I saw you talking to Gerard at the Sheriff's station..." Derek said patronizingly.

Wait.

What?

"What the hell Scott!?!" she yelled, her eyes going wide as betrayal filled her up. Scott was working for Gerard?

"Okay, hold on! He-he threatened to kill my mom! And I had to get close to him. What was I supposed to do?" Scott explained. She paused, taking in I had to get close to him. Did Scott have a plan?

"I'm gonna go with Scott on this one. Have you seen his mom? She's gorgeous!" her dad said.

"Shut up!" Derek and Scott yelled at the same time, much to her amusement.

Isaac piped up. "I hope you have a plan, Scott."

"He has cancer." Scott revealed. "I think he wants to become a werewolf—"

"The sheer hypocrisy in the idea of Gerard I cut werewolves in half Argent becoming a werewolf alone cannot be explained." she snarked. "Agreed." Isaac muttered.

"So I switched his real pills with one's filled with mountain ash." the brown haired werewolf revealed.

There was a beat of silence as Esmeray took in Scott's ideas while everyone else, she noticed, gave him wide eyed looks. "You said mountain ash affects supernatural. What happens if a human is bitten and turned into a werewolf with mountain ash in their system?" Scott asked her.

"If he's lucky, his body will reject the bite." Peter said. "And if he's not—but it will be lucky for us—he'll die. Both will knock him off the supernatural and hunters chest board of politics."

"So either way is a win for us if it works out correctly." Isaac summarized. "Essentially." Derek agreed.

"Well, what about Jackson?" Esmeray asked. "Dad has a way to save him."

"Oh he's dead." Isaac said casually. "What?" Derek demanded. "Yeah, Jackson's dead. It just happened on the field." Scott added. "Okay, why is no one taking this as good news?" Isaac asked. "Because if Jackson is dead, Isaac, it didn't just happen, Gerard wanted it to happen." the blue eyed werewolf hissed.

"But why would he kill off his most important assets?" Derek mused. "Well, that's exactly what we need to figure out." Peter said. "And something tells me the window of opportunity is closing. Quickly."

They pulled up to the Hale House and Esmeray entered, forcing aside the memories of smoke and death of her childhood home. Scott squeezed her hand and she gave him a thankful smile.

"Just kiss already." Isaac muttered and her cheeks flushed. "Shut up." she said, letting go of Scott's hand and entering the house.

"Oh. Oh, they found Stiles!" Scott said, looking up with a bright smile. "That's good." Esmeray said, relieved someone she considered a friend was safe.

"I told you, I looked everywhere." Derek said. Her father crouched down and pulled out a case. "You didn't look here." Peter said with a smirk. Derek frowned. "What is that, a book?"

"No, it's a laptop. What century are you living in?" her father said sarcastically. "A few days after I got out of the coma, I transferred everything that we had. Fortunately, the Argents aren't the only ones who keep records."

"...Explains why suddenly I couldn't find half the family grimoire." Esmeray mused. "Took me a few days to find it again." "Sorry about that." her father shrugged.

She heard Melissa's voice. "Something... Definitely something... I don't know what, but I think you're gonna want to see this for yourself."

"Well, that is not ominous." Esmeray said dryly. "Ten bucks it's Jackson."

"Of course it's going to be Jackson." Isaac scoffed.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"They say he's in some kind of transparent casing made from the venom coming out of his claws." Derek said. "Well, that sounds like something straight out of a horror movie." Esmeray snarked. "They also say he's starting to move." Derek added grimly.

"Okay, look— I think I found something." her father said. "Looks like what we've seen from Jackson is just the Kanima's Beta shape..." " Well, meaning what? It can turn into something bigger?" Derek asked.

Esmeray peaked over her father's shoulder and saw the Kanima's Alpha shape. On it's feet, it stood eight feet tall, with a pair of wings adding another six feet of height. Massive horns shot from its skull and curved inwards like ram horns, and it was covered head to toe in dark green scales, with lighter green scales on its underbelly. Massive claws, twice the size of Jackson's current ones, came from its hands and feet. Beady yellow eyes glared out from its spot on the computer. It's tail had a spike on it dripping with paralyzing venom.

"Bigger and badder." Peter said, horror filling his voice. "He's turning into that!? That has fucking wings!" Esmeray yelled. "Unfortunately, we can see that." Derek said sarcastically.

"Scott, bring him to us." Derek ordered. Esmeray heard Scott's response. "I'm not sure if we have time for that..."

"Look! Somebody actually made an animation of it." Her father said and clicked on the play button. "Maybe it's less frightening if we—"

The thing moved and roared and Esmeray shrieked, jumping back. Her father slammed the laptop shut. "Nope. Not at all. We should probably meet them halfway."

Derek ordered Scott to get Jackson out of there and ran out of the house. Esmeray followed. "Derek, we need Lydia!" she yelled. "There's no time for that!" Derek snapped, unlocking his car.

"That's the problem— we're rushing. We're moving too fast. And, while everyone knows that a moving target is harder to hit, here we are, racing right into Gerard's crosshairs." her father hissed. "If I get the chance to kill Jackson, I'm taking it." Derek said. He got into his car and drove off.

Esmeray rolled her eyes and unlocked her car, climbing in. Her father jumped in and she drove after Derek.

They pulled up and got out. The night was quiet enough she could hear Chris asked "Where's Derek?"

Derek took off, dropping on all fours, doing an impressive flip and landed several feet away from them. "Drama Queen." she sing-songed, walking over. "Scott, Isaac, Argent." she greeted.

Her Argent's father's eyes went wide and she knew her father had made himself known. "Get him inside." Derek ordered, giving Chris a way glance. "He's on our side." Scott said.

"I'm here for Jackson, not you." Chris also added. "Not helping." she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Chris, can you move your car into the warehouse too?" she asked. Chris nodded and did just that, and Esmeray helped get Jackson out of the trunk.

"Where is she?" Scott asked. "Who?" Derek asked.

"He's not going to bother, Scott." she said. "Let me quote him 'If I get the chance to kill Jackson, I'm taking it.'." "We're past saving him." Derek snarled, unzipping the bag.

"What about—" Scott started before the green eyed werewolf cut him off. "Think about it, Scott! Gerard controls him now. He's turned Jackson into his own personal guard dog, and he set all of this in motion so that Jackson could get even bigger and more powerful."

"No. No, he wouldn't do that. If Jackson's a dog, he's turning rabid, and my father wouldn't let a rabid dog live." Chris said.

Esmeray's senses kicked in and she ducked, an arrow just barely missing her head. Allison. she realized in horror as her father dragged her into the side areas, growling.

"Of course not." Gerard said. "Anything that dangerous, that out of control... is better off dead. Now, Allison, kill the abomination." Esmeray swallowed, knowing what he meant as fear began to fill her.

"He's going to kill Jackson?" Isaac asked. "No." she said, getting all eyes on her as Allison knocked another arrow, pointing it at her heart. "He means me."

There was a bang and Esmeray blinked. She was still alive, and he turned to see that Chris had shot and broken Allison's bow. A fight broke out and Esmeray jumped out of the way as Jackson lunged for her, separating her from Peter. She began scrambling backwards, trying not to get hit. The Kanima swiped its claws and she barely dodged. She swung her claws, hitting his eye.

The Kanima roared and she bolted, slamming into Allison to get her off Isaac. "Don't touch my packmates." she hissed. "You—" Allison snarled, brandishing her ring daggers and stepping forward, seeing Derek and her face contorting into fury.

A scaly hand suddenly wrapped itself around Allison's neck, her daggers falling to the floor. "Not yet, sweetheart." Gerard crooned.

"What are you doing?" Allison asked, fear and heartbreak filling her eyes.

"He's doing what he came here to do," Scott said. "Become a werewolf." Peter drawled from his spot next to Chris, supporting his (ex?)mate. Esmeray didn't know their relationship status—exes met definitely—but she could guess it was complicated.

"Yes. Unfortunately, science doesn't have a curse for cancer yet... But the supernatural does." Gerard said, cold, hungry eyes landing on the paralyzed Derek.

"You fucking hypocrite." Esmeray hissed, glaring at the elderly Argent. "You monster." Chris added.

"Not yet." Gerard said. Allison let out a gasp as the Kamina began to strangle her. "Do it, Scott."

Her blue meet Scott's brown. Trust me. his eyes told her. She held her breath as Scott got Derek up (and her cousin, knowing the plan for Gerard) bit Gerard.

Allison greedily sucked in air into her lungs. Tears welled up in her eyes as she took in the scene before her. Her dad had a desperate, terrified look in his eyes that she couldn't recall having seen before, ever. Not when Peter had killed Kate, not when her training started, not even when her mother had died.

Her eyes flicked to Peter, supporting her dad. Gerard had told her about their affair while her dad was still married that had lead to Esmeray. Her eyes flickered to Esmeray, her werewolf half sister.

In her rage and grief all she wanted to do was make werewolves pay for everything that they had done to her family. She thought it was justified—werewolves had come after her family, and now she could get her revenge. After all, Hunters were the good guys, right?

Seeing the burn scar peaking out on Esmeray's neck, she realized that more often than not, Hunters were the bad guys. Hunters had killed the Hale Family without asking questions first, and Kate's actions had come back to haunt and kill her aunt. Esmeray's words about the code echoed in her head.

"Just kill and be racist to supernaturals just because of something most of us didn't preform a crime of other than being born supernatural."

Esmeray... her sister was right. She knew more than anyone about paying a crime for nothing then being born into a species that wasn't human. For being the child of a Hunter and a Werewolf.

That had been another thing Gerard had twisted into her mind. Children of those romances were abominations, he had told her. They had to be killed.

Allison swallowed, knowing her was wrong. The children of those romances weren't abominations—they were still people. And Gerard was know going to become the very thing he had spent years Hunting, the very thing Victoria Argent had killed herself to prevent herself from becoming.

Once again, Allison had chosen family over friends.

And once again, she had chosen the wrong side.

She watched as Derek bit Gerard.

After the Kamina let her go, the huntress watched in shock as black blood began leaking out of the bite wound.

Esmeray grinned slowly as the black blood began spilling from his nose as well.

"What is this?" Gerard demanded. He glared at Scott. "What is this? What did you do?"

"If you want to be supernatural, Gerard," she drawled. "Then you have to play by the rules too."

The realization hit the psychopathic Hunter.

"MOUNTAIN ASH!" he roared.

"Kill them all!" he roared. He glared at her. "Rip out her heart and make them watch!"

Oh sweet moon goddess. she mentally swore, shifting into her werewolf form. Yellow light then flared the warehouse and a familiar blue jeep ran over Jackson.

"Did I hit him?" Stiles cried, his eyes squeezed shut.

Lydia jumped out. "JACKSON!" her best friend shrieked, holding a silver key in her hand. The Kanima froze.

And began to change.

Scales turned to skin and hair, yellow eyes became Jackson's human color. The tail and claws vanished.

His eyes turned a cold, steel blue color as sideburns popped up, and roared.

It was still reptilian, but more familiar. A wolf's howl.

"Where did he go?" Isaac asked, and Esmeray turned to see Gerard was gone. "You've got to be kidding me." she groaned. "We'll find him." Chris promised.

"Can we go home?" she whispered to her father. Her father nodded. "Yes."

She waited for Allison, looking up as the brunette entered the clearing where over a month ago, Derek ripped out her father's throat. Where a few days ago, she brought back her father to the land of the living.

"Allison." she greeted flatly. "Esmeray." the Huntress said. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything."

"I'm sorry." the ravenette said before shaking her head. "That's not how it works for me, Allison. You tried to kill me, you tried to kill my pack. Was Gerard manipulating you? Yes. But so did Kate. You might be sorry Allison but that doesn't mean I have to forgive you. And I won't."

Tears were in her half sister's eyes but Allison nodded. "I see." she said quietly. "Any case, Dad and I our leaving for France this summer."

"Good for you and your dad." the evolved werewolf said.

Allison raised an eyebrow. "You know, you're still rejecting the part Dad gave you just as Gerard rejected you for being a Hale."

"He's not my father." Esmeray denied.

The brunette shook her head before leaving. Esmeray frowned before turning to the freshly painted over door.

Where she, Derek, Peter, and Isaac had found the Alpha Pack's symbol painted onto the door.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"What do you hear?" she asked Isaac. "Your voice." Isaac said. "Press farther. Imagine it like an island, and you have a certain radius. Now expand the radius." she urged.

Isaac took a deep breath, his eyes closing. "I hear leaves rustling. There's a deer eating some plants. A mouse is skittering through the ground. Two hikers half a mile away from us are... oh god of all places to have sex." Isaac grimaced, opening his eyes.

Esmeray pulled a face. "Sweet moon goddess." she cursed. "But you pulled yourself back to the island. You have good control." she praised.

Alongside looking for Erica and Boyd, Esmeray had started giving Isaac more 'Werewolf 101' lessons, as Stiles had dubbed them, to help him learn control. This past full moon he had been able to control himself, to everyone's delight. Scott joined in on the lessons as well, helping Isaac and learning from Peter.

Deaton had taken Stiles and Lydia under his wing, teaching them herbalism and how to use mountain ash. Lydia was a Banshee, as Peter identified, and while there was no other Banshees nearby the Hale grimoire had a list of Banshee abilities that Lydia could possibly have. They all had 'Supernatural 101' listing the different species, their powers, and how to recognize them. Melissa was also given the 'Supernatural 101' and had installed Mountain Ash at the McCall house for protection.

Stiles had started his own Bestiary as well, which was identical to the Argent's own but instead of how to kill them, it instead pointed out how to help and train them, and save them, for the Kamina page.

Jackson and his parents had moved to London as soon as Jackson had control of himself on full moons. Chris and Allison had taken off to France for the summer.

"Thank you." Isaac said with a shy smile. Her new foster brother had moved in with her and her father at their apartment, and the two had become close. It had turned out that Isaac's mom was Peter's good friend, so he was very pissed at what Mr.Lahey had done.

"So, you have a crush on Scott?" Isaac asked slyly, giving her a grin. She blushed but glared at him. "Do you have one on Allison?" she countered. "Touche." Isaac agreed. "We don't speak of it?" "Agreed." she said.

Esmeray flashed her fake ID that Danny had made for her during their first semester of sophomore year and entered the club. She stuck to the edges, grimacing at the assault on her super senses. "First time?" a voice asked and she turned to see a tall boy with blue eyes and light brown hair. "Hey Brett." she greeted the other werewolf. "And yes, first time."

Since Satomi had trained her how to control her powers, she had meet and befriended Brett and his sister Lorilee. They hadn't talked in a while due to the chaos that had started after Laura died, but she was glad to see her friend again.

"You get used to it." Brett said. "Want a drink?" "Sure." she said. "I need one after a very difficult sophomore year."

"Do I want to know?" the bisexual werewolf asked. "Most likely not." she said. "I heard there was a Kamina." Brett said, giving her the drink. Esmeray downed it in one go. "Yup. We solved it and Jackson's in London now, two of my pack members are missing, and I am here to have a semi-normal night for once."

"An American werewolf in London." Brett snickered, giving her a charming grin. "My house again?" Esmeray paused. She had just come to get drinks and dance before heading home but... "One night or everyone will get suspicious." she agreed.

After sleeping together, Esmeray headed home before dawn after swinging by a laundromat to wash Brett's scent off her clothes. While he could inhibit his scent, she didn't want to take any chances.

"You seem comfortable with Scott." Lydia mentioned as the two walked down Main Street to the ice cream parlor to meet up with the boys. "He's a friend." Esmeray insisted, fidgeting with the sleeve of the black cardigan she was wearing over her white crop top, having paired it with a knee length light blue skirt and boots. Her black hair was pulled into a high ponytail at Lydia's insistence.

She opened the door for Lydia and heard someone's heart skip a beat. The ravenette glanced to see Scott, who was avoiding her eyes.

Huh, that was weird.

A few nights later, Esmeray found herself at the Martin house for a movie night with Isaac, Stiles, Scott, and Lydia.

"You and Isaac have been hanging out a lot." Scott said once the movie credits started rolling. Esmeray frowned, underneath his scent of cedar and lemon, she could pick up an emotion coming off of Scott but she couldn't name the emotion. "Yeah, he's my foster brother. We're bonding." she said, making sure it wasn't a lie as she said it. Along with bonding with Isaac, they were looking for Erica and Boyd along with Derek and her father. "Ah." Scott mumbled, dark brown eyes flickering from her to the TV.

She could see his cheeks darkening but she didn't comment on it. "Well, since everyone else is asleep." she gestured to Stiles, Lydia, and Isaac. "We should probably be quiet."

Scott turned off the TV and Esmeray reflexively curled up next to him. It was a cold night and Scott radiated body heat. Right before she fell alseep her sleep addled brain noticed he had put an arm around her shoulders.

Eh, she must have imagined it.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray let out a small groan, feeling dizzy and groggy. "Quiet." she heard someone whisper and with her superhuman vision, she could see a beautiful African American women half dragging half carrying her out of the bank. "Stay with me. We're almost there."

She bite her lip as her neck flared with pain, resisting the urge to cry out. She knew what that meant. She remembered finding the bank, how she suspected Boyd and Erica were in there, but everything else was gone. "They took my memories." she wheezed. "So I was told." the women said. "What's your name?" the werewolf asked. "Braeden." the women, Braeden, revealed. Esmeray struggled to her feet, one arm over Braeden's shoulder.

They made it to a motorcycle and Esmeray sat down behind Braeden, her arms around the older women's waist. "Listen to me— no matter what happens, you hold on, okay? You hold on tight!" Braeden instructed. "Got it." she murmured, and Braeden took off.

She heard two sets of footsteps. "Two of people are coming. Go faster." she hissed, still feeling groggy from the effects of losing her memories but she felt her regeneration healing herself. Braeden nodded and sped up. Suddenly the two footsteps became one large one. What the fuck. she thought.

"Take the next right and make a sharp left right after." Esmeray instructed recognizing what part of Beacon Hills they where in. Braeden did as they were instructed and Esmeray peeked over her shoulder.

She saw one huge hulking figure and swore violently. She let out another violent curse as she saw Braeden drive straight to a wall. "Are you crazy?" Esmeray yelled. "Yes!" Braeden chirped.

The blue eyed teenager squeezed her eyes shut and gasped loudly as they went flying through the wall. The impact made her let go of Braeden and she rolled on the ground before stopping. "Fucking hell." she cussed.

The footsteps approached them before sirens hit her ears. The hulking figure vanished and she let herself pass out as cop cars appeared.

She groaned at the harsh lights of the hospital, squinting against them. She heard Melissa say "Hey, wait! Wait a minute! I know this one." and the McCall nurse appeared, taking the handles of the stretcher she was on.

"What happened, Esmeray?" Melissa asked her. "Alpha attack. Call my dad and tell Derek they're at First National Bank. He'll know what that means." "Okay." Melissa said. "Why aren't you healing?" "Injuries from an Alpha take longer to heal, it's some kind of energy in their claws." Esmeray explained.

She was put in a hospital gown and put in a room. An hour later Deaton showed up, who gave her a once over. "You have internal injuries. Your body is healing those first but it's slow. I would give you something to speed it up but Melissa says you have surgery in thirty minutes."

"Where's my dad?" she asked, feeling anxious, once again alone in the hospital. "He's out looking as well. He's on his way back." Deaton promised. "And Braeden? The women who saved me?" she further pushed. "Currently being guarded by several Sheriff deputies." Deaton said.

Soon she was given the medicine to knock her out for surgery, and once she came back, she sensed several Alpha's in the building.

Fuck. the Hale girl thought viciously, sending danger-be careful as hard as she could down her pack bonds, though as usual, Scott received it the easiest. Their pack bond had always been the healthiest and brightest. Esmeray pulled out the needles connecting her to an IV and spotted a bag of clothes left for her. She got changed and slipped out of her room, wincing as she felt pain flare up all over her body.

She slipped through the hallways, avoiding nurses and doctors. Her heart dropped when she saw a women with bare feet and glowing red eyes blocking them. "There you are." the women purred, claws coming out. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way."

She suddenly screamed before collapsing, twitching on the ground. Esmeray saw her fathers—no, her dad and Chris, standing there. A taser wand was in Chris's hand. "We prefer the easy method." Chris snarked as her father made his way to her. "Let's get you home." Peter said, taking some of her pain. "Not without Braeden." Esmeray insisted. She couldn't leave the human women behind to face the Alpha Pack, probable mercenary or not.

Chris and her father exchanged looks. "I'll go get her." Chris promised before leaving.

The moment she got home (Braeden had gone missing), she took the herb Deaton had left to speed up her healing before taking a nap, the exhaustion of the events overwhelming her.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"So let me get this straight." Isaac said. "Your dad is going to do some memory ritual to find the memories the Alpha's took from you, even though we already know where Erica and Boyd are?" her foster brother summarized.

Esmeray shrugged. "Essentially." she answered. She was touched that Isaac had stayed behind with her when her father had suggested the ritual. "It sounds dangerous." Isaac pushed. "It is." she said bluntly.

"I still don't like this." Isaac said. "Your dad is great when he's not murdering people, but still this sounds really dangerous."

"I don't like this either." Esmeray admitted. "But if it works, we'll get more information."

Peter entered at that moment. "So you know the basics of this ritual right?" he asked her. She nodded. "You're going to put your claws at the base of my neck and search through my memories. If I stay still, relax and don't fight back, it will be easier for both of us."

"Yes." her father said. His claws came out and she tensed before forcing herself to relax. "Let's get this over with."

The claws came down and she tensed up.

She was sneaking through the building—
She peered around a corner and saw two people in the vault—
"By the next full moon, they'll both be dead." she heard the leader, Deucalion, say.
She ducked into the closet, praying that they wouldn't find her. She dumped a jug of cleaning chemicals to mask her scent and look around, eyes glowing gold. Her gaze landed on Erica's corpse—

Esmeray screamed and stumbled out of the chair she was sitting in, gasping for breath and trying to force air back into her lungs. Isaac grabbed her and helped her to her favorite armchair. "Hey, it's okay. They're not here, it was just memories."

"Erica's dead!" she blurted out, shivering even as her foster brother's warmth enveloped her. "She's dead." she choked out again.

As soon as school was out, everyone was packed into Derek's loft. And 'everyone' as in Derek, Peter, Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Isaac, and herself.

"So if Erica's dead, who's the other girl in the vault?" Lydia mused. "I don't know." Esmeray said. "I got a glimpse of the vault, and then I had to hide."

"Well, we can find out when we break them out. Right now, we need to get a plan to get them out, since the full moon is tonight." Derek said. Stiles promptly laid down a very large blue print.

"This is how they got in-- it's a rooftop air conditioning vent, leads down inside into the wall of the vault, which is here. Okay? One of the robbers was lowered into this shaft. Now, that space is so small, it took him about twelve hours to drill into that wall, which is stone, by the way. Then, throughout the rest of the night, they siphoned the cash up to the guys back on the roof through that one little shaft in the wall." Stiles explained.

"They patched the wall after the robbery, didn't they?" Isaac asked. "Yes." Stiles nodded. "So we're going to need a drill, I was thinking—"

"Forget the drill." Derek said. "Forget the drill?" Stiles demanded, flabbergasted. "We have super strength, Stiles." Scott said, but not in an unkind way. "Oh." Stiles said, ducking his head. "Okay no drill then. But it's also very tiny so you would have to go one at a time. Who's the strongest werewolf?"

"Esmeray and Derek. Esmeray here is an evolved werewolf, and Derek is the Alpha." Peter said without missing a beat. "Though it should be Derek, Esmeray's still recovering."

"Really?" Scott asked, looking at her. She nodded. "I can still help though." "No." Derek disagreed. Esmeray rolled her eyes. "Well, let's keep planning." Lydia cut in. "We don't have a lot of time."

Esmeray drove Lydia home before heading back to the loft. "I still feel like this is too easy." she said aloud. "Why?" Stiles asked. "Well, the Alpha's took their sweet time making sure we couldn't find them. I found them by luck. And it feels off that they would let us rescue Boyd and the other girl this easy."

There was a pause.

"Stiles, what's the material the walls are made out of?" her father asked. "Uh—I don't know?" Stiles stammered, sitting up. Esmeray pulled out the papers and flipped through them, and she cursed violently once she found the name of the material.

Hecatolite.

"Moonstone." she breathe in horror before pulling out her phone. She started to dial Scott, panic running through her veins.

"Hey, what's wrong with moonstone?" Stiles asked her. "It absorbs moonlight. Boyd and Cora have been in that vault for three months, and the moonstone absorbed the moonlight." she explained quickly, impatiently waiting for Scott to pick up

"Shit!" Stiles swore.

Scott chose that moment to pick up the phone. "Esmeray it's really not the best time—." he started, but she cut him off. "Scott, you, Isaac, and Derek need to get out of there. It's a trap! The walls are made of moonstone, which absorbs moonlight!" she said, putting him on speaker.

"It keeps the moonlight out! They haven't felt the full moon in months!" Stiles added. She could hear Derek swear like a sailor in the back ground.

Her father jumped in. "Okay, think of it like the gladiators in the Roman Colosseum. They used to starve the lions for three days, making them more vicious, more out of control. Deucalion has kept them from shifting for three months, diminishing their tolerance to it."

"They're going to have worse control than any first shifted werewolf on their first full moon." the ravenette added. "Their inner wolf will be in control. They'll attack anyone they see."

"They're going to be more savage, more bloodthirsty... Scott, they're the lions! They're the starved lions, and you, Isaac, and Derek just stepped into the Colosseum." her father finished.

There was a pause from Scott's end and she heard Derek whisper "Cora?" before he hung up.

Esmeray was frozen. Cora? Why would Derek say Cora, the name of their dead cousin.

Unless—

Unless Cora had survived the fire.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Stiles's phone rang and Esmeray flinched, the loud ringing harsh against her sensitive ears. Stiles gave her an apologetic look before taking it. "Lydia?" he asked. "Wait, you found— I'm going to put you on speaker. Yes, Esmeray is here."

"Lydia?" Esmeray asked once Stiles put his phone on speaker. "What's wrong?"

"I found a dead body at the pool." Lydia said. "Banshee trance?" the female werewolf asked. "Banshee trance." her best friend confirmed.

"We're coming." Stiles promised before hanging up. "Come on." he said to Esmeray and she nodded. As Stiles dashed out she paused and hugged her dad. "Don't die." her father murmured. "Love you too." she murmured back before leaving.

The jeep hadn't even stopped but Esmeray had already gotten out. "Lydia!" she shouted as she ran in, honing in on her best friend. She spotted the strawberry blonde and rushed to her side. The shorter teenager clung to her, shaking. "You okay?" Stiles asked, jogging over.

"I'm okay." Lydia said. "That, over there...? Not okay."

Esmeray reluctantly let go of Lydia and moved closer to the body. She couldn't see well so she flared her golden eyes and gasped. The boy's head was bashed in, along with being strangled and his throat cut.

"Okay, I'm calling my dad." she heard Stiles say and turned around.

"I already called 911." the Banshee said.

"You called the police before you called me?" Stiles asked incredulously.

Her best friend blinked, visibly confused. "I'm supposed to call you first when I find a dead body?"

"Yes!" Stiles shouted exasperatedly.

"You think that girl and Boyd killed them?" Lydia asked.

"Uh, so Cora's alive and she was in the bank." Esmeray said. "And no, they didn't kill them."

"Really?" she heard Isaac's voice asked and she turned to see Stiles with his phone on speaker.

Esmeray rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, the body's had it's head smashed, along with the throat slit by something to clean and deliberately to be claws, and finally, it was also strangled. You think Cora and Boyd, in their frenzied state, would do all of that? Nope, they wouldn't. They would straight up maul him."

"I agree with Esmeray" she heard Derek say. "Also, we haven't tracked Cora or Boyd anywhere near the pool, we're on the other side of town in the preserve."

Esmeray nodded in agreement to her cousin's words but something in the back of her mind itched. She had heard about this method of death before...

She would ask Deaton after they dealt with Cora and Boyd. She turned back to the body and felt a lingering scent—citrus, to sweet honey, rain, and and something else she couldn't name.

The police showed up and the trio gave their statements. She spotted a familiar car and saw the Argent's car and waved too Scott. She paused before nodding to Chris.

She frowned, not remembering when she started to refer Argent as Chris, but a small part of her didn't want to stop.

She sensed Stiles approaching her and she turned. "Yeah?" she asked. "Melissa called. She wants to show us something." the Stilinski boy said grimly.

The black haired teenager got out of Stiles's jeep and headed into the hospital with Stiles at her side. Melissa walked over to them. "Hi." Esmeray said. "Hello." Melissa said before gesturing for them to follow.

"Over here." Melissa said and headed down a mostly empty hallway. "And, if you tell anyone that I showed you this, I swear to God I will kill you painfully and slowly."

"Why would we want to see a body we've already seen?" Stiles asked. "Because you haven't seen everything." the McCall matriarch said ominously.

Melissa took them to the morgue, and Esmeray grimaced once she saw the corpse after Melissa pulled back the sheet. The smell of death was overwhelming in the morgue. "See this, around his neck? That's a ligature mark. That means he was strangled with something, like cord, rope..."

"Ah, okay, wait a second... What kind of Werewolf strangles someone? You know, that's not very Werewolf-y." Stiles said.

"That's what I said earlier." the evolved werewolf said dryly.

Melissa nodded. "My thoughts exactly. And then, there's this—" Melissa pointed to the indentation where something was leaking out of it.

Stiles gagged an stumbled back. "God... Man, what is that? Is that brain matter? Yeah, it's brain matter... of course..."

Melissa ignored him with the surgical precision of someone who was used to explaining medical terms without flinching. "See the indentation? He was hit in the back of the head, hard enough to kill him. In fact, any one of these things could have killed him. I mean, someone seriously wanted this poor kid dead!" Melissa finished.

It clicked in Esmeray's mind. "Three fold death." she whispered.

"What's three fold death?" Stiles asked her.

"A very, very dark ritual." the Hale House Fire survivor said grimly.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

While Esmeray was in chemistry with Mr.Harris, her mind was elsewhere as she scribbled down notes on what Deaton had told her and the Hale pack the other night.

"Three fold death is the method that killed those poor teenagers." Deaton started. "It is a very dark ritual based on human sacrifice that has been outlawed for a thousand years."

"What does it do?" Cora asked. Esmeray was still glancing at her every so often, to make sure that Cora was there and alive, not dead like everyone thought. Boyd had checked in with the police station, as had Cora, to make it clear that no, she was alive and had survived the fire. They had another day before school started, so the pack had time to swing by the Druid's house.

"It depends on the trio that has been sacrificed. There are five groups: Virgins, philosophers, warriors, healers, and guardians." Deaton continued.

"Virgins was the first." Stiles murmured and she squeezed his hand. He had told her about Heather. "What's the next one?" she asked.

"It could be any one of the other four groups." Deaton said. "But after sacrificing each trio, the Darach, a dark Druid, gets more power. Virgins give the Darach powerful glamour and illusionary powers, Healers give them the ability to heal others and powerful regeneration, warriors allow the Darach super strength, philosophers grant the Darach enhanced intelligence, and guardians allow the Darach to create shields of pure energy with no need for mountain ash."

"And there's a large pool of potential victims here in Beacon Hills." Scott muttered. Esmeray knew he was thinking of his mother, who as a nurse, was a potential for the healer trio.

"Ms.Hale," Mr.Harris's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She quickly closed the page on her Darach notes as she looked up at her least favorite teacher. "What do we know about momentum?" he questioned her.

"It's the product of mass and velocity. The more massive something is, the faster it's going." she answered without missing a beat.

"Impressive, I almost thought you were zoning out in my class for a moment, but I've been proven wrong." he snarked. She glared back at him, her claws aching to come out but years of self control prevented them.

"Mr. Harris, can I use the bathroom. please?" Isaac asked and she threw him a concerned glance. Mr.Harris nodded and the bitten werewolf left. She watched as Scott tried and failed to follow Isaac and her concern grew.

A few moments later, a loud thump hit the lockers on the other side of the classroom wall. Harris rushed out followed by the students. Esmeray glanced at Scott before murmuring under her breath so only he would hear her.

"What the hell is he doing?" she hissed.

"Taking the bait." Scott whispered back sadly.

"What is this?" Harris asked. "What's going on?"

In the hall, one of the Alpha twins (Ethan, she guessed) was bloody and bleeding in front of Isaac. Danny rushed to Ethan's side. "You all right?" Danny asked.

"Uh, he just... He just came at me!" Ethan declared. Esmeray scowled, hearing his heart skip a beat. Liar. she knew and mouthed it to Scott, who nodded. "Isaac, what the hell did you do?" Mr.Harris demanded.

When lunch came around, she was heading for the art room when she heard Isaac's yells and Allison's shriek. She quickly ran through the halls, following the noise. A vending machine was put in front of the closet door.

She had a good feeling who had done that.

The evolved werewolf grabbing the vending machine and dragged it aside. Scott rushed over and opened the door. He pulled out a shifted Isaac and pinned him down, letting his eyes glow gold. "ISAAC!" he yelled.

Esmeray recoiled slightly as his yell hit her. Her inner wolf let out a whine, half trying to submit half trying to not too. That wasn't a Beta roar, it was more in the line of an Alpha roar.

No fucking way... that means... she thought, her eyes widening. Scott turned to Allison and Esmeray knelt next to Isaac, pulling him up.

"What are three things that cannot be hidden?" she asked.

"The sun, the moon, the truth." Isaac muttered. Her inner wolf let out an encouraging trill. Isaac relaxed under her grip. "The sun, the moon, the truth." he repeated, relaxing further.

"You're good at this." Allison said and Esmeray turned to face her half sister. "Well, I was a ten year old with the instincts of a werewolf. I had to know how to control myself." she said bluntly. Her eyes found the bloody wound on Allison's arm.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-I didn't mean to do that," Isaac stuttered, trembling.

"I'm okay," Allison reassured.

Isaac shook his head. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not his fault." Allison repeated firmly. "They deliberately trapped him in a small space."

Scott sighed. "I guess now we know they want to do more than just get you angry— they want to get someone hurt."

"So, are we gonna do something?" Isaac asked.

"How about we give them a taste of their own medicine?" Esmeray suggested slyly.

"They're very found of their bikes." Allison added with an identical grin.

"I now see the family resemblance." Isaac said from next to her. She snorted at Scott's agreeing nod.

Esmeray texted Boyd, who was more than happy to join in. He and Allison would take apart Ethan's motorcycle and Boyd would then hot-wire Aiden's motorcycle for Isaac to ride into the school. Hopefully, Aiden would take the bait and get framed for riding his motorcycle in the school. Esmeray had hacked the school computers to make sure Isaac would not get caught.

Scott's phone pinged and she saw the picture of Isaac on Aiden's bike. She smirked at him and headed into the classroom, taking her seat. She began the loop feed as the class started.

"Okay, everyone. I know this is the last class of the day... To be honest, I want to get out of here, too." the teacher, Ms.Blake, announced. A faint but familiar scent hit Esmeray's nose—citrus, too sweet honey, rain, and something else she couldn't name.

The sound of Aiden running out of the classroom snapped her out of her thoughts. The sound of the engine grew louder and Ms.Blake, visibly confused about what was going on, went outside to check on it. Esmeray followed with Scott at her side to see Aiden standing with the bike as Boyd, Allison, and Isaac joined them.

"You have got to be kidding me," Ms. Blake scolded Aiden. "You realize this is gonna result in a suspension."

Esmeray held in a laugh, grinning at the twins as she flashed her phone. A look of horror filled Aiden's face as he realized the implications—that he would get fully framed for the act.

Breaking school rules was fun.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray looked up from her sketchbook, checking on her wound that was located on her stomach. It had finally healed from the blow Kali had dealt her the other night.

"Am I getting too close?" Allison asked. "I'm getting too close, aren't I?"

Lydia looked at her half sister. "That depends... Are you just following the bus, or are you planning on mounting it at some point?"

Allison nodded. "Yeah, I should back off."

"Well, that also depends. Oh, do you mean the bus, or the ex-boyfriend you're currently stalking?" Lydia snarked.

Esmeray's inner wolf shifted in discomfort at the mention of Scott and Allison dating, growling slightly. She pushed it back.

"Well, after what happened, I'm not letting him out of my sight." Allison said.

"He should be done healing by now." Esmeray murmured. "I just finished."

The strawberry blonde sat up straighter. "What happened?"

"There was a fight." Esmeray said. Her throat felt like it was closing up. "And Derek's most likely dead."

"Most likely?" Allison echoed.

"I've felt pack bonds snap before." the werewolf said, shuddering at the memories of the Hale House Fire. Therapy or not, the fire would always haunt her. "The bond between me and Derek isn't broken all the way, it's hanging on by a thread."

"Ah." the other two girls chorused and a comfortable silence fell.

Lydia put down her textbook. " "So is that whole 'not let them out of your sight' thing literal or more like a general rule?"

"Why?" Allison wondered.

"You're running on fumes." the strawberry blonde pointed out bluntly.

Esmeray saw it too and winced. "I think we should pull over. We know where the game is going to be anyways, and the bus has more gas than your car." the werewolf advised.

"But what if we lose them?" Allison fretted. ""What if we stop?"

Lydia turned back to her textbook. "Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, so we lose them. We know where they're headed."

"You didn't see what happened."

"I know who started it." Esmeray frowned at Lydia's words.

"Is that what Aiden told you?" she asked.

"A-Aiden?" Lydia stammered.

"He's one of the Alpha's." the Argent girl said.

"...Oh now everything makes so much more sense!" Lydia groaned before looking at Allison. "Oh I see your plan now! You're keeping an eye on them and me!"

"Now I'm curious on why I am here." the Hale girl drawled, stopping her sketch of an intricate mystical forest that one could imagine in a D&D campaign.

"Because you're scarily good at keeping everyone calm and acting as the heart of this group." Allison said. Esmeray paused, thinking it over.

Before she could reply, the car stopped, violently

. She let out a groan at the several honks that hit her sensitive ears, rubbing her forehead. Lydia passed her a wet cloth and she took it, pressing it to her forehead.

Lydia's phone started to ring and the Hale girl couldn't help the snarl that escaped her. "It's Stiles." Lydia announced.

"Lie." she and Allison said at the same time. Her best friend nodded.

"Hey, Stiles! Yeah, we're just about to walk into a movie! Uh, you know, the popcorn, and—" her friend tried before Stiles cut her off. "I know you guys are right behind us. Put me on speaker."

"Okay." Lydia muttered and Esmeray sat up straighter. "What's wrong Stiles?" she asked.

"This is Beacon Hills and nothing is ever right. What I need is you on this bus to keep the wolves calm." Stiles snarked. There was a sigh. "Okay, look, Scott's still hurt."

"What?" Esmeray demanded. "He should be done healing by now! What's wrong?"

"I don't know!" Stiles said. "I think he's actually getting worse. The blood's turning, like, a black color..." Stiles trailed off.

"There's a rest area up ahead, get the Coach to pull over." she instructed.

"Yeah, I've been trying." the Stilniski boy said.

"Well, reason with him." Allison said.

"Reason? Have you met this guy?" Stiles demanded.

Esmeray was not going to deal with his pessimism. "Do what you need to do Stiles, along as it doesn't kill someone." she said before Lydia hung up.

A few minutes later, the bus was pulling over at the rest area. Students poured out of the bus. Esmeray saw Isaac and Boyd helping Stiles get Scott off the bus and she followed them into the boy's bathroom.

Stiles pulled up his shirt to reveal the bloodied gash on his abdomen that was leaking with black blood. "This isn't good." Esmeray said, trying to control her panic and failing miserably.

"What's wrong with him?" Isaac asked as Boyd began to absorb some of Scott's pain. Her inner wolf let out a horrified whine, and she was slightly disturbed because that wasn't a reaction of a friend worrying for a friend.

"Knowing Scott, he's not letting himself because of Derek since he is most likely dead." she got looks of disbelief from the boys. "Yes, most likely because I can still feel Derek." she said. "But we need to do is kickstart Scott's healing."

"And how do we do that?" Lydia asked.

Esmeray tiled her head. "Stitches. The minor pain should trigger it, and it has the added benefit of getting the injury basic medical attention.

Stiles relaxed significantly. "Since you're the most experienced werewolf, I'm going to roll with your plan."

The ravenette nodded, trying not to think of why she was the most experienced werewolf. "Thanks."

"I have some thread to make stitches." Allison suggested.

"Good, can you get the thread." I'll do the stitches. Isaac, keep Ethan distracted. Allison, Lydia, Stiles, I need you three to make sure Coach doesn't leave without us. Speaking of that, Stiles, you should get Scott a new shirt. Boyd, I'll need you to hold Scott down." she said, thinking up the plan as she went.

Everyone nodded and split up. She remembered Allison's words. "Because you're scarily good at keeping everyone calm and acting as the heart of this group."

Boyd pulled off Scott's jacket and shirt and Stiles ducked in, placed the new shirt down, and ducked out. Allison came in on his heels, handing her the needle and thread. "Thank you." she murmured and threaded the needle before kneeling down in front of Scott as Boyd held him down to the bathroom floor. She sensed her half sister leave, but kept her focus on Scott.

"Scott?" she murmured and brown eyes flickered open. "This is going to not be fun but you'll thank us for this in the long run."

"I'm tired." Scott whispered.

Her heart fell. "Hey, look at me." she said, forcing Scott to look at her, brown meeting blue. "Keep looking at me and do not close your eyes for me. You can rest later."

Scott nodded and she took a breath before she started stitching him up. Scott hissed but Boyd absorbed his pain and the McCall werewolf didn't struggle or fight her. Fifteen minutes later, she was finished.

"Thanks." Scott said to her and Boyd and she tossed him his shirt, resolutely keeping her eyes on his face. He sat up and pulled it on, stumbling as he got to his feet. Boyd threw one of his arms over his shoulder, helping him out of the bathroom.

Just then, the sound of flesh hitting flesh hit her ears and she inhaled when she saw the crowd around the tree. Lydia rushed over. "Stiles is stalling Coach but Isaac—he went after Ethan."

"God dammit." Esmeray swore and Scott shrugged off Boyd and headed forward, pushing through the crowd. Isaac was beating up Ethan, a look of sheer rage over his face.

"Isaac!" Scott yelled and she stepped back, feeling the same energy as the day when Scott calmed down Isaac after he had a panic attack in the closet.

Part of her trying to submit, part of her resisting.

She knew what that meant.

Scott's the one that Deucalion wants. the evolved werewolf realized. He can be a True Alpha.

Later, on the bus, sitting next to Scott, Esmeray glanced at the passed out brunet, his head on her shoulder. It made sense, that Scott had the potential to be a True Alpha—he was kind, emphatic, and he cared so much about everyone.

Which didn't explain why her heart always skipped a beat when she was around him like a little kid with a crush—

Oh shit. Esmeray realized.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray had spent the rest of the bus trip silently freaking out over the revelation that she had a crush on Scott before snapping out of it when the bus pulled to a stop. She gently shook Scott awake.

"Esme?" he asked, sitting up straight, voice rough with sleep. She ignored that fact. "We're here." she murmured and he nodded, grabbing his stuff before offering her a hand. "A true gentlemen." she teased softly. He gave her a dimpled smile. He has fucking dimples. she mildly panicked. "I try my best." Scott replied.

They exited the bus and she frowned at the motel. It was old and seemed off in a way that just grated on her instincts, that had her inner wolf growling.

"I've seen worse." Scott suddenly said. "Where have you seen worse?" Stiles asked, looking genuinely curious.

Coach's whistle blew and she subtly flinched at the loud noise. "Listen up! The meet's been pushed 'til tomorrow. This is the closest motel with the most vacancies and the least amount of good judgement when it comes to accepting a bunch of degenerates like yourselves! You'll be pairing up— choose wisely. And I'll have no sexual perversions perpetrated by you little deviants! Got that? Keep your dirty little hands to your dirty little selves!"

She noticed Lydia staring at the hotel. "Lyds? Is something wrong?" she asked gently. The boys slowed to a halt, looking at them.

"I don't like this place." Lydia answered.

"Banshee instinct?" Boyd asked.

"Banshee instinct." Lydia confirmed. Boyd hugged her, and Lydia hugged him back.

"Alright, we stay together." Scott said. "No one goes anywhere alone, and if you see something creepy don't—"

"Piss it off?" Isaac suggested. Scott nodded in agreement.

"Oh, so you finally say something useful." Stiles snarked.

"Boys." Esmeray said, exasperated. "One night. It's just one night." she said before groaning. "I just jinxed it, didn't I?"

"Yes." Allison, Isaac, Boyd, Lydia, and Stiles deadpanned at once.

Esmeray washed her face in sink before looking up. Her face was becoming more lupine and she jerked back, her claws coming out. Suddenly her face seemed normal again and she stepped back, breathing heavily.

She pulled on her shirt and entered her room but she saw fire. She shrieked and stumbled out of the room, slamming into someone. "Esmeray? What's wrong?" she heard someone, Stiles, ask.

"The room's on fire." she hissed, her back hitting the wall. She heard someone screaming. "My dad—" she choked out. "He's here and he's burning!"

"Stiles what's wrong?" she heard someone ask.

"She's hallucinating our something!"

"Here I have an idea—" something pierced her leg and she growled, her free leg lashing out. There where two yelps and she looked up to see Scott and Stiles.

"What the fuck just happened?" she asked.

"You don't remember?" Stiles asked. "I— no." she admitted, not liking that and how close it was to the Alpha's stealing her memories.

"You were hallucinating." Scott said, gorgeous brown eyes looking at her with concern, and she got up, leaning against the wall for support. "Did I hurt anyone?" she asked. "No." Stiles said.

"Good. Because I am going to sleep whatever the fuck was that off." she said. "Thank you, both of you." she said sincerely before re-entering her room, which she had to herself, to the distaste of herself and the other werewolves.

She fell onto the bed and her phone rang. She picked it up to see Papa Wolf flash on the caller ID. She picked it up. "Hi dad." she greeted.

"Hey kiddo. We found Derek." her father told her. "Where are you all at because I can come and get you."

"We're at a motel, the Glen Capri." she answered. "And for some reason, I started hallucinating that the room was on fire and—and you were burning." she admitted, voice shaking.

There was a pause. "Esmeray, I'm coming to get you and Isaac." her father said.

"Dad, no. It's just for the night and I'll be back in the morning." she said. "I'm really, really tired and I'm going to bed."

Peter sighed. "Fine. But if something happens, you call me and I'll come and get you and your brother."

"I know. I love you." she said before plugging her phone in and falling asleep.

Someone shook her awake and the Hale girl groaned, sitting up. "I swear to god if someone isn't dead or dying—"

"The others are hallucinating as well." a voice, Allison she recognized, cut in and she looked up. "Ethan just tried to kill himself. I'm looking for Scott and Stiles and Lydia are looking for Isaac and Boyd."

She swore violently and harshly, pulling on her boots and jacket. "Thanks for telling me." she murmured before dashing out of the room. Not bothering to knock she opened the door to Isaac and Boyd's room and saw a pair of legs sticking out of the bathtub. She rushed over to see Boyd in the water, a safe on his chest.

"Oh no no no, Boyd no." she muttered, grabbing the safe and hauling it up. A clawed hand swiped at her and she jerked away. She remembered what Scott did and stabbed Boyd in the chest with her claws.

A muffled roar happened and the safe went flying, Boyd sitting straight up and spitting out water. Footsteps entered the room and she turned to see Lydia and Stiles. "Boyd, you good?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah—what's going on?" he asked anxiously. "Everyone who is a werewolf is hallucinating, you tried to kill yourself." Esmeray explained. She grabbed a towel and tossed it to him. "Thanks." Boyd said, the stab marks already healed, not even leaving a scar behind.

She heard whimpers and followed them to a bed, and she saw Isaac hiding under it. "Found him!" she shouted and Stiles and Lydia rushed over. A flare was in Stiles's hand and she stepped back, letting the Stilinski boy do what he needed to do.

A shriek came from under the bed and Isaac was rolling out from under the bed. Stiles stood up, looking a bit proud.

"Okay, now we need to find Scott." she sighed as Lydia explained what was going on too Isaac.

"You two go. I'll help them." she said and Stiles nodded, leaving with Lydia. She helped up Isaac but his legs gave out. She caught him and placed him on the bed. "What did you see?" he asked.

"Fire." she said. "And I heard my dad burning. You?"

"Getting back into that god damn freezer." Isaac said, visibly shuddering.

Boyd came into the room, wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt. "I smell fire."

There was a beat and they rushed out of the room, seeing a massive ball of fire go off. Esmeray shrieked in horror and jumped down the railing, landing on her feet and running over to Scott, Lydia, and Stiles.

"You three okay?" she asked, helping Scott to his feet. Boyd and Isaac jogged over. Isaac helped up Allison while Boyd easily helped Lydia and Stiles too their feet. "I feel like I got hit by a truck."

"I felt the same." Isaac agreed.

"Did anyone else see that?" Lydia asked. "See what?" she asked, turning to her best friend.

"The person in the fire. I think it was the Darach." the strawberry blonde answered.

The ravenette opened her mouth but an increasingly familiar scent hit her nose. Citrus, too sweet honey, rain, and something else she couldn't name but she now did.

Blood.

"There's this scent I've been picking up. Citrus, too sweet honey, rain, and blood. I think it's the Darach's scent." she added.

"Well, we worry about that tomorrow." Scott said. "Let's get some sleep."

"Away from the evil hotel." Stiles muttered. "How about the bus?" Allison suggested. "I'm good with that." Isaac agreed.

The group grabbed their things and headed to the bus. Esmeray fell asleep to the heartbeats of her fellow packmates— werewolf, banshee, and human.

She woke up to footsteps and a new heartbeat. She got up to see Coach Finstock. "I don't want to know. I really don't want to know. But, in case you missed the announcement, the meet's canceled, so we're heading home. Pack it in. Pack it in!" he announced.

As he passed by her a horrible scent hit her nose. Wolfsbane.

"Hey coach can I see that?" she asked and swiped the whistle. She crushed it to find a purple stain on her hand.

"Wolfsbane." Scott whispered, realization flashing through his eyes.

Wordlessly she threw the whistle and wolfsbane out the window as Coach yelled her name, taking the offered tissue from Lydia and swiping her hand clean. "That's how we got poisoned." she said. "Every time he blew it, we all inhaled it."

"But how did the Darach get close enough to Coach's whistle?" Allison frowned.

"What if the Darach is one of our teachers?" Boyd suggested softly. "If the Darach is a teacher, that's how they got close enough to Coach's whistle to get it full of wolfsbane."

They all went quiet at that realization.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"Can you cover for me in school today?" Isaac asked her as they got ready to leave the apartment. It had been two days since the motel incident, and so far a tense peace had settled down, as if the storm was there but ready to cause havoc as soon as it had the chance.

"You're skipping?" Esmeray asked, confused. "Yeah. Boyd has an idea to protect Derek." her foster brother answered.

"Fine, but you owe me." she sighed and Isaac grinned, giving her a hug before dashing out the door. Esmeray smiled softly before heading down, getting in her car and driving to school.

Scott and Stiles quickly jumped her the moment she parked her car, explaining the events from last night. "So it's healers this time." Esmeray summarized. "Yeah and the Darach got two doctors." Stiles added. "Which means doctors and nurses are definitely on the hit list."

A horrible thought bloomed in her mind. "Healer could be a veterinarian." she said as the three began walking into the school. Scott and Stiles inhaled sharply. "And Deaton is a Druid. The Darach could get two birds with one stone—a healer sacrifice and get rid of the local Druid."

"Shit." Stiles swore as they made it to the physics class. "I'll call Deaton." Scott muttered.

Esmeray got into her seat behind the two boys as Ms.Blake, the new English teacher, appeared. "Good morning!" the brunette said. "As you all know, Mr. Harris is still missing—" the teacher stopped her heart skipping a beat and that caught Esmeray's attention. "I mean sick. Anyway, I'm filling in while we all hope and pray for a more qualified substitute to take my place. Okay, so let's get started, shall we?"

"Hey, my dad said that the ER attending wasn't strangled but did die from asphyxiation— they just don't know how." she heard Stiles whisper to her and Scott.

"Do you think the on-call doctor could still be alive?" Scott whispered back.

"The doctor's most likely dead." she bluntly hissed.

Scott's phone rang and he took it. Esmeray listened to the ensuing conversation with unease and dread.

"Deaton's next." Scott said and raised his hand. "Ms.Blake, can I go to the nurse?"

The teacher nodded and Scott dashed out with his things. Esmeray impatiently waited for class to end before calling her dad. "Hey Stardust." her father greeted.

"Deaton's the next sacrifice, he called Scott before he was taken." she explained. "Also, Boyd and Isaac are protecting Derek."

She heard her father paused before whispering. She could hear Argent. "Dad, are you with Chris?" she asked. "Yes I am. We'll look for Deaton, you stay in school." her father instructed before he hung up on her.

The fire alarm rang during brunch and she sensed a werewolf on the campus. She headed for the the boy's locker room and heard Lydia cooly, calmly say "Let go."

She opened the door to see Cora holding Lydia's arm, claws out and piercing her best friend's skin, and Lydia glaring at her.

"She said." Esmeray began calmly, baring her fangs and golden eyes. "Let. Go."

Esmeray entered the locker room and closed the door. Cora growled and Esmeray growled right back, grabbing Cora's arm and peeling it off of Lydia's arm before throwing Cora across the room.

"Uh, don't destroy the room." Stiles's nervous voice cut in. "Come on we need to talk, all of us."

Esmeray paused, sensing an Alpha nearby. "You guys go." she murmured. "Deucalion's here. And if he's here, Scott will go after him." she turned to her cousin and best friend. "Don't kill each other. Stiles is in charge."

"Yes." Stiles whooped and Esmeray laughed at his reaction before heading out to find Scott and Deucalion. She heard the sounds of a fight and opened the door to see Deucalion and an injured but healing Scott.

"Ms.Hale," Deucalion greeted warmly. "You've grown since I last saw you, a little girl clinging to her father. Did you find out who your... other father is?"

She let out a warning growl and he smirked.

"Esmeray don't." Scott warned as she bared her fangs at the Alpha, but Scott's pulse down their pack bond made her back down. Deucalion chuckled. "Ah, both of you don't know, don't you?"

"Know what?" she hissed. Deucalion smirked.

"In due time." he said. "Now, let the current guide you too Deaton." the Alpha said before leaving the room.

"Dramatic asshole." she said, knowing Deucalion could hear her.

Scott let out a laugh and her stomach did a flip at the sound.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray helped Scott to the classroom as he slowly healed where Cora, Stiles, and Lydia where. She could hear Stiles ask "What? Why Danny?". The ravenette opened the door and she and Scott entered the room.

"Because." Scott said. "Last night, he was a target... But he wasn't a sacrifice."

"What happened?" Stiles asked once he saw Scott's wound. "Deucalion." her crush answered and stumbled into a seat, wincing as he held his shoulder. The other three made noises of recognition. "So we need to see Danny." Lydia stated.

Esmeray took Scott's pain and the five left the classroom as the bell rang, Scott tossing on his jacket.

"But isn't Danny still in the hospital?" Cora asked as they left the school. "Yeah. That's where we're going right now." Stiles answered. Esmeray looked at her cousin and Cora and muffled a smile.

Scott's phone went off and she heard him say "I'll meet you there."

"Why?" Stiles asked. Scott showed them his phone, a text from Allison. It read I think I found something, bring Esmeray.

"Why does she want me?" the evolved werewolf drawled, but she was genuinely curious.

"Well, you were raised by Deaton." Stiles pointed out. Esmeray pursed her lips but nodded. "Fine."

She got in her car and began driving to the Argent's apartment, with Scott following her.

Allison opened up the door. "Good, you're here." the brunette huntress said and lead them in. Allison made a beeline for Chris's office.

Esmeray wondered when she began to refer to Argent as Chris.

"So, I was looking through one of his drawers, and I found this." Allison said, opening the drawer just as the elevator rung.

"Shit." Esmeray swore.

"Hide!" Allison said, pushing her and Scott into the closet, closing the door before dashing out.

Esmeray tripped on something and slammed into Scott—she could have sworn to hear his heart skip a beat the moment she slammed into him. "Sorry." she murmured, trying to stand back up. Key word trying since there was little space in the closet and she and Scott hardly had any room between them, even though she was pressed against the door. Her inner wolf was making the equivalent of a purring noise but she ignored it.

"It's okay." Scott said and shelve him a weak smile. After a few minutes Chris entered the room and she tensed, breathing quietly. Just then she felt something move below. It took the werewolf five seconds to figure it out.

With the dawning embarrassment on Scott's face she opted to not mention it. Chris left and Esmeray carefully opened the closet, silencing her steps as she walked. Scott followed and Allison reentered the office. She pointed to the map on the desk, which showed Beacon Hills.

"See this map? Last time we were in here talking, my dad put a book over it. There was something about the way he did it... It was like... it was like he was trying to cover it." Allison said.

Esmeray flared her golden eyes and saw the markings all over the map. "Scott." she said and he did the same as Allison activated a blacklight. As her half sister waved it over the map she said "He's been tracking and marking everything— Cora and Boyd at the bank, the office in the penthouse above us, all of the dead bodies... He has a symbol for where someone was taken, and then a different mark for where the bodies are found, see?"

Allison turned it off and face her and Scott. "Now, here's the scary part— there have been six sacrifices, right? There are twelve markings on the map."

Esmeray looked at the map again as Scott said something. She beat Allison to the punch. "He knows where the bodies are going to be found. All of the sacrifices have been taken where there's a telluric current, and found on another. That means Deaton is somewhere close to where there's a current."

"What's a telluric current?" Allison asked.

"Literal currents of supernatural energy." Esmeray summarized the one hour minute lecture Deaton had given her when she had asked him once at the age of twelve.

Scott took a picture just as the elevator dinged again. Esmeray bolted for the kitchen, Scott following, while the huntress headed for her room. The elder Argent walked right by them. "Hey. I, uh, I didn't hear you come in." Chris said.

Esmeray got up and quietly made for the door, which was still open. She slipped out and Scott followed. "Go, go, go." the brown eyed werewolf muttered and she nodded, getting in the elevator with Scott.

A comfortable silence enveloped them. "So, sorry for the closet." Scott said. "It's fine." the Hale girl shrugged.

Once they where with their vehicles Scott called Stiles. "Deaton's got to be at one of the six locations, but they're all over town." he held out his phone. "I don't know how we can get to all of them fast enough."

With her super hearing, she heard Stiles's response. "Well, we might not have to. Danny was doing a project on something for Mr. Harris' physics class, and I think it actually means something."

Scott put his phone on speaker and turned to her, holding it out. "What project?" she asked Stiles.

"Something on... telluric currents." Stiles answered. Esmeray inhaled sharply, as did Scott. "I'm taking that as you two know something." Lydia's voice said.

"Yeah, meet you guys at the clinic." Esmeray said. Scott hung up and Esmeray jumped in her car, speeding through the largely empty streets of Beacon Hills.

Once at the clinic, Scott printed the picture of the map and put it on the table with Danny's homework. "Okay, so what does this kid's homework have to do with finding Deaton?" Cora demanded.

"Because it's not just homework, okay? It's a project on geomagnetic fields. They flow through the earth. They can even be affected by lunar phases, all right?" Stiles explained. He held out a note. "Now, look at this— this is a note from Harris on Danny's proposal."

"I strongly advise you to choose another topic. The ideas here, while innovative and thoughtful, border on pseudo-science. Not suitable for class" Lydia read aloud.

"Harris knew something." Esmeray said. "Pseudo-science can be another word for supernatural. If the Darach killed him, it would be to also silence him. He could have been the accomplice. How did the Darach know who where virgins in the school and who had military connections?" she asked rhetorically.

There was a beat of heavy silence. "This town is getting crazier by the day." Lydia sighed.

"Now, check this out," Stiles said. "Allison's dad wasn't the only one with a map, all right? Danny had one, too. Danny marked all the telluric currents, okay? Now, the weird thing about Beacon Hills is that it actually is a beacon— you wouldn't believe how much energy flowing through the earth is around this town."

They all turned to her, and she just rolled with it. To be fair, she did have the most knowledge of the supernatural and druidic lore out of them all.

"That's because of the Nemeton, a sacred tree where Druids would meet, preform rituals, and other stuff. It had powerful magic and some level of awareness, of consciousness. There are only six in the entire world, and each one acts like a beacon for the supernatural, drawing them in to where it is. Supernatural beings can help but be drawn to Nemetons, to places where telluric currents are powerful." she explained. "But the one here was cut down by an illegal lumber company twenty or so years ago, so it's pull is very weak."

There was another beat of silence.

"You know, now that you explained it, all the supernatural bullshit happening in our small town makes more sense." Scott mused.

She gasped, placing a hand on her heart. "Did Scott McCall just swear? Is the apocalypse happening?" the evolved werewolf teased him.

He ducked his head, blushing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Flirt later." Cora groaned and Esmeray faintly blushed too. Scott put the picture next to the map. "Guys, look. They match!"

"All right, there's three places, right? Where they're kidnapped, and then the place where their body was found, both on telluric currents." the Stilinski boy pointed out. "The actual sacrifice could happen in-between two currents." Esmeray suggested.

Cora tapped on a spot. It was the bank. "He's in the vault, the very same vault." her cousin said.

Everyone began rushing to the door. "Guys wait!" Lydia cried.

"Lyds we don't have time." Esmeray said, turning around.

"The plan failed." Cora said, holding up her phone. "They cut the power."

"We need to go." Scott said. "Stiles, Lydia, Esmeray, Cora, go to the building. I'll find Deaton. We can save both of them."

Stiles hugged Scott. "Stay safe." Stiles said.

"You too." the McCall werewolf replied.

Esmeray swore when she saw the tires on her car cut—Deucalion, she instantly knew— as Scott drove off. "Go." she told the other three and they reluctantly sped off.

Twenty minutes later as the tow truck took her car away, they texted her that Boyd was alive, in the hospital, but alive.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray could hear Stiles and Cora's bickering from downstairs. After Derek had gone into hiding after Boyd's hospitalization, Cora was alone in his loft, so Esmeray tried to keep her company. She shut her book and headed down the stairs with Peter at her side. "What was he like?" she heard Stiles ask.

"A lot like Scott, actually. A lot like most teenagers— unbearably romantic, profoundly narcissistic, tolerable really only to other teenagers..." her father said. Esmeray snorted at the thought of Derek being like Scott.

"And so what happened? What changed him?" Stiles asked.

"Well, the same thing that changes a lot of young men. A girl." her father answered.

Stiles scoffed. "You're telling me some girl broke his little heart? That's why Derek is the way he is?"

Her father sighed and took a seat. Esmeray did the same, sitting down next to him. Her father spoke after a brief silence. "Do you remember Derek, before he was an Alpha, had blue eyes? Do you know why some wolves have blue eyes?"

Stiles shrugged. "I just always thought it was, like, a genetic thing."

Esmeray let out a snort at the exact same time as Cora. The real reason why some wolves had blue eyes was a much, much, more darker reason. "If you want to know what changed Derek, you need to know what changed the color of his eyes." her father said. "Let me tell you what happened six or seven years ago."

She straightened up, paying attention as her father continued. "Derek was a few months into his junior year of high school. There, he met a human girl named Paige, who played the cello in the school band, and they began to date. Now, Derek still didn't have good control back then, so Talia was nervous about them dating. But we all saw how happy Paige made Derek, and he was getting better control over his shift. So we concluded that Paige had become his anchor. But remember, Paige was a human—"

"Wait, how old was Derek?" Stiles asked, cutting in. "How old were you? How old are you now?"

"Not as young as we could have been, but not as old as you might think..." her father said with a smirk. Esmeray hide a smile, knowing he was deliberately messing with her friend by being vague.

"Okay, that was frustratingly vague." Stiles complained. He turned to her and Cora. "How old are you too?"

"I'm turning seventeen in December, so sixteen." Esmeray answered. Stiles looked at Cora. "I'm eighteen." Cora said after a beat of silence.

"See! That's an answer. That's how we answer people!" Stiles said. Cora sent her a mischievous smirk. "Well, eighteen in how you measure human years." her cousin added.

Stiles shoulders slumped in defeat. "All right, I'm just gonna drop it. What happened to Derek and the cello-girl?"

"What do you think happened? They were teenagers— one minute, it's I hate you, don't talk to me, the next, it's frantic groping in any dark corner they could manage to find themselves alone for five minutes. Their favorite dark corner was an abandoned distillery outside of Beacon Hills." Peter said.

"All right, hold up— how do you know all this? You just said that they were alone." Stiles said. Peter fixed him with a blank look. "I put a tracker on Derek, that way I could keep tabs on his locations when he would run off to do teenager bullshit."

"Maybe I should do that on Scott." Stiles muttered. Esmeray let out a laugh and gave Stiles a smile. "Maybe we should." she agreed. "Alright, continue please." Cora asked.

Peter nodded. "This was around the time Hunters were getting more ruthless, more kill first ask questions later. Now, back then, us Hales kept an eye on the Nemeton and made sure the supernatural community here in Beacon Hills wasn't causing any trouble. Since it was just us werewolves, we were fine. But then..." her father sighed, closing his eyes. "One of Ennis's Beta's killed two Argent hunters. Rumors indicated it was in self defense, but the Hunters claimed it was unprovoked. Doubtful since the two the Beta killed where among the most sadistic in the Argent's little posse, just behind Kate and Gerard."

"What happened to the Beta?" Stiles asked.

"What do you think?" Peter asked. "They killed him. Right in front of Derek. I was nearby, and I grabbed him and we hid in the root cellar of the Nemeton until we could go home."

Esmeray's eyes went wide as a memory suddenly resurfaced. "I remember now. You were there for two days. I was so distressed that you were gone that no one could calm me down."

Her father gave her an apology look and squeezed her hand. But he continued with the story. "So Ennis called for an inter-pack summit—his pack, Kali's pack, Deucalion's pack, and the Hale Pack. He wanted war, but Deucalion wanted peace."

"They didn't all live here, right? Beacon Hills was Hale pack territory?" Stiles asked.

"Yes. Kali's pack lived in Southern California, near the Mexican border. Deucalion's pack had territory up north, at the coast near the border with Oregon. Ennis and his pack's region was in the Sierra Nevada's, their base of operations located at Lake Tahoe. All three where among the biggest, most powerful packs in California, just behind the Hale Pack, since we used to hold control over a large chunk of California. And they wanted Talia's advice, so Kali requested that Talia come along too." Peter said.

"Why your sister?" Stiles asked looking confused.

"Because Aunt Talia was like me." Esmeray said, letting her eyes glow gold. "An evolved werewolf."

"Stiles, an evolved werewolf is a werewolf who has found balance between their human and werewolf nature. It happens to one in a thousand werewolves, mostly Alpha's. I'm the first Beta to achieve it." she explained.

"And because my sister could full shift into a werewolf alongside her werewolf form, she was seen as an advisor of sorts, a role model for all werewolves to look up too. She was highly respected in both the supernatural and werewolf community." Peter said. "Ennis, like I said, wanted war. But Deucalion wanted peace. Talia was in the middle ground, believing we shouldn't provoke the Hunters, but we had every right to fight back and defend ourselves. In the end, Ennis carved the spiral into the walls of the distillery."

He got up and traced it on the foggy windows. "Our mark for vendetta. In hindsight, he was most likely driven by grief. Losing a packmate is like loosing a limb, but the Alpha's feel it more clearly. They didn't let him see the body."

"What does it have to do with Derek?" Cora asked impatiently.

"Everything. It's never just a single moment; it's a confluence of events. Personally, I looked at Ennis' circumstances, and I saw a profound loss. Derek saw something different. He saw opportunity."

Esmeray's eyes went wide. "To turn Paige." she said breathlessly.

Peter nodded. "Talia would have never done it. I warned Derek of what could happen, but he still wanted to be with her. So I got in contact with Ennis, told him to bite Paige. Back then, everyone wanted to be in Talia's good graces. Turning Paige, the girlfriend of Talia's son, might have gotten Ennis in Talia's favor."

"But it didn't work." Cora said.

"So did Ennis turn her?" Stiles asked. "Almost." Peter murmured.

"Almost?" Stiles asked before he paled. "Wait, you offered me the bite if it didn't kill me."

"Sometimes, the body rejects the bite." Peter said. "Derek took her to the root cellar. I left them alone to let them say goodbye alone, and I got Talia. We came back and Paige was dead, and Derek's eyes were blue. He had mercy killed her, put her out of her pain. Talia took him home, Deaton got rid of the black blood, and I put her body where the animals could get her, where the police would find her. And Paige Krasikeva became yet another victim to the long line of Beacon Hills animal attacks."

Esmeray's heart ached for Derek and Paige.

"And what about Derek?" Stiles asked. "Taking an innocent life takes something from you as well... A bit of your soul. Darkening it, dimming the once brilliant golden yellow to a cold, steel blue..." he looked up, eyes glowing blue. "Like mine."

"What did you do?" Stiles asked.

A memory hit Esmeray and she turned to Dad. "You went missing once when I was seven, for months. I cried myself to sleep every night and Aunt Talia was losing her mind trying to find you."

Her father nodded grimly. "Similar to Boyd and Cora, I was also captured by hunters and deprived of moonlight for six solid months while I was tortured. I got out, somehow, I can't remember, but I know that I encountered a human once the moonlight took control. I woke up the next morning covered in blood and gore. Talia found me and brought me home." her father explained.

There was silence for a long time, before they all split up.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"There was another murder last night." Lydia told her as Esmeray drove her, Isaac, and herself to school.

"What, really?" Esmeray asked, but part of her was not surprised.

Lydia nodded. "It was another Banshee trance." Lydia said. "And we didn't get you or Isaac was because we were too late anyways."

"Who was it?" Isaac asked. "Tara, one of the Sheriff deputies." Lydia told her. "I knew her. She was one of the people who investigated the fire." Esmeray murmured. Tara had also been one of the first deputies to arrive at the scene of the fire, to find her and her father, burned and broken, but alive.

Just barely alive.

"Anyways, Scott thinks that the Darach could have been one of the Druids for one of the Alpha's." Lydia continued. "That actually makes sense. It would be a good reason for revenge." Isaac mused.

"I was a kid when the summit happened, but I vaguely remember them. Ms.Morrell was Deucalion's Emissary, Ennis's was an elderly man in his late fifties, and Kalia's was a women named Julia. I think they where together." Esmeray recounted.

"What about the twins?" Isaac asked. "They weren't there." the dark haired teenager said. "So I don't know anything on them."

They arrived at Beacon Hills High School and the ravenette parked her car. "Well, school time." Lydia said, hopping out. After sharing a glance with Isaac, Esmeray got out as well.

The day was very quiet. During art, Mrs.Norris passed around mugs of mint tea and absentmindedly, the female werewolf took one of the mugs and drank all of it. Later, she was walking through the halls when the scent of rain, peppermint, and snow hit her nose.

Cora. she knew instantly.

Esmeray followed the scent and came upon Cora and Aiden fighting in the boy's locker room.

"Hey!" she shouted and pulled them apart, tossing them in separate directions. "What are you doing?" she demanded. Cora growled, baring her fangs as she took a threatening step closer.

Before her cousin could say anything, Esmeray sensed something in the air and pushed Cora out of the way. Something hard smashed into her forehead and Esmeray howled in pain, unable to hold down the reflex as she called for her pack, eyes flaring gold as she did so. The force of the thing that hit her caused her to slam face first into the mirror, cracking it.

A variety of scents entered the room and she tried to grab something to help stabilize her.

A pair of hands grabbed her and pulled her aside, helping her sit down. She felt blood on her face and she shakily tried to touch the wound before Lydia's hands stopped her. "Hey guys?" she heard Stiles voice say. "I think she's pretty hurt."

She blinked away the pain, her vision blurry. She felt weak, her healing slow and sluggish. Well, it came from an Alpha. she thought blearily. "I'm okay." she rasped, standing on shaky legs. "I just need to heal."

She focused on Cora. "And as I asked earlier, what where you doing?"

"I—"

"Got into a fight with Aiden in the middle of the god damn school!" Esmeray shouted, her temper flaring. She could feel shocked stares coming from Stiles, Lydia, Aiden, Ethan, and Cora, and she knew why. Esmeray always tried to be the calm one, the one who thought with her head and not with her heart. It was a way she had coped after the fire.

But she was still very much a werewolf, with the anger to prove it. A pulse of warmth and comfort came from her bond with Scott as he took her hand, taking her pain. She pulled away hastily, not wanting her crush to feel the pain she was in, and the emotions she had pent up. "I need to go. I can't go to my classes with this."

"I'll take you home." Stiles offered and she took his offered hand, wincing again as she moved. Cora supported her on one side, and helped her to Stiles's jeep. She slipped Cora the keys to her car and sank into the passenger seat of Stiles's jeep with a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." she said to Stiles. "Pack mates help each other, right?" Stiles said. She knew the subtle test he was offering her.

Do you trust me?

She did. She trusted Stiles just as much as she trust Boyd and Lydia and Scott and Isaac and her dad and Derek: with her life.

"Pack mates help each other." she confirmed. She turned to him. "We stick together."

She sank into a light nap, trying to sleep away the healing. She stirred when she heard Isaac's voice. "Stiles, this leaves guardians as the final group. Like law enforcement, right? You need to tell your dad."

"Alright, I'll tell him." Stiles said. "And keep it down, Esme's trying to sleep right now after the weight she took to the head."

"What?!" she heard Chris and Allison yelled over the phone. She winced, a small whimper escaping her lips at how the noise grated on her sensitive ears.

"I'll explain later." she said hoarsely, her hands shaking as she turned off Stiles's phone. Fuck, she felt horrible, her head pounding as everything assaulted her senses.

"You don't look good, Esme." Stiles said.

"I know." she rasped, rubbing her temples. "Everything's too loud and— and it's too much."

"Just a little longer, Esme." Stiles said. "I need your help to tell my dad."

He helped her to his room and she sank onto his bed, her head pounding. She felt dizzy, but she didn't tell Stiles— they had enough to worry about.

Stiles got the board ready, and she saw her name go on the Queen piece. "Why am I the Queen?" she asked, though it was more like a whisper.

Her friend turned to her. "Well, I kinda thought that would fit since you can full shift into a werewolf? And because you're the one who keeps us all together." "That's Scott." she disagreed.

"No, Scott's the leader who we all like so much that we hate to let him down and we know we can trust unconditionally. You're the heart of this group, the one who keeps us sane and connected to each other and who we are." Stiles told her, the honesty coming off of him in droves.

The blue eyed teenager smiled at him softly. "Lydia said something similar."

"Well, that means I'm right, because Lydia's a genius." Stiles said proudly.

She let out a laugh before the Sheriff came in. She fidgeted with her fingers, trying to steady her hand as Stiles and his dad talked. She was nervous about revealing herself as a werewolf, but she knew it was for the best.

"Esme? Can you do it?" Stiles asked. She looked up, her black hair falling in her face. The fatigue was getting incredibly intense and she took a breath, trying to pull together her self control. She nodded, getting up on shaky legs as her eyes glowed yellow.

But it was to much to flare her werewolf eyes because her body decided then and there to shut down. Darkness surged from her temples, and the last thing she heard was Stiles's concerned shout, the faint echo of a bond she shared with him flaring up.

Right before the very last dregs of her conscious slipped away, she could feel the flood of worry and panic coming from all of her pack bonds.

Esmeray came too slowly, blinking her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was the throbbing in her skull. The second was the faint beeping coming from her left, matching her heart beat. The third was Derek's scent, also coming from her left, and the fourth was Cora's scent from the foot of her bed, her cousins passed out.

And the fifth thing she noticed was the grip in her hand. She blinked and saw her dad there, holding her hand tightly as he siphoned her pain away. "Dad?" she rasped as she turned her head to him, the bandages wrapped around her head shifting, getting his attention. His blue eyes, identical to her own, focused on her. He held her sweat slick hand tighter. "Hey Stardust. I'm here." he said.

"What's happening to me?" she asked, hating the fact she felt so weak. She heard Derek and Cora stir, but her attention was solely on her dad.

"I don't know." her dad admitted. "Don't go." she asked, trying to focus as exhaustion slowly crept up on her. She fought to stay awake. "Please don't go."

Don't leave me. she silently begged Peter and Derek and Cora, the survivors of her initial family.

"We won't." Derek said, his voice firm and comforting.

Esmeray nodded once before passing out again, to tired to fight the exhaustion.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

There was some shuffling and Esmeray blinked. Cora and Derek were standing up, whispering. She couldn't hear what they were saying. "It's fine, Stardust." her dad whispered. "Go back to sleep."

The ravenette did as he said, drifting back into sleep.

Esmeray's eyes snapped open and the only thing she could think of was the bile rising in her throat. She shot up and turned to the side, and black blood mixed with something else spewed from her lips. She puked again and again and again before she was just drying retching, her dad rubbing her back soothingly.

"Thank you." she whispered before leaning back in her bed, passing out almost instantly.

Esmeray stirred again and she vaguely recognized the nurses trying to get her out of her hospital gown and into her normal clothes. She tried to help but whatever was affecting her was making it hard.

"It's okay Esmeray." she heard someone say. Melissa McCall she realized, blinking hard. "We got you."

Knowing she was in safe hands, the werewolf allowed herself to drift off again.

Esmeray stirred again, and forced her eyes open as the telltale sign of salvia filling up in her mouth. She turned to one side and puked again, black barf and the other thing hitting the floor.

Her skin was sweaty and she felt horrible. She almost tipped over before a familiar pair of hands stopped her for falling. She could tell she was in a green room, and her pack was there, but not much else.

"Boyd?" she muttered.

"You're going to be okay, Esme." the tall werewolf said. But even with her senses not up to full power, she could hear his hear skipping a beat.

"Liar." she muttered before blacking out again.

She gasped, inhaling the oxygen greedily as she coughed through it as well. The influx of oxygen was much needed and she took in as much as she could, the air feeling like cold lemonade on a hot summers day.

The evolved werewolf cracked open one eye to see Stiles and Isaac. They're talking but she can't pick up on anything other than Isaac saying "—kissed my sister!"

The next thing she hears was the door opening and closing. Her dad's scent hit her nose, and she relaxed. Someone was absorbing her pain but it wasn't doing much.

"Dad?" she whispered. "I'm tired."

Peter's hand took her shaking hand. "Just hold on a little longer Stardust, we have a plan."

Esmeray just nodded, too tired to do anything else, before she threw up again, puking up black blood and whatever the fuck was killing her. "I'm tired." she whispered before passing out once more.

She briefly wondered if this was what her family felt, death slowly creeping up on them, letting them wither away slowly instead of a swift death.

Chapter Text

Peter Hale

Peter carried Esmeray out to the car bridal style, keeping a tight grip on his daughter. Boyd was on his heels, and Peter saw him out of the corner of his eye routinely looking over his shoulder, as if waiting for the Alpha Pack.

Esmeray stirred lightly but when he checked, she was fully unconsciousness, but he could still hear her heartbeat, however weak it was. Isaac pulled in the car and kicked open the door. Peter gently set down Esmeray on the seat before clambering in.

"Go." he barked and Isaac took off.

"She's dying." Isaac said flatly as he looked down at his foster (soon to be adopted) sister. Esmeray had always been fair skinned but now he could see the veins underneath her sickly pale skin, her black hair emphasizing on how corpse like she looked.

Esmeray, as long had Isaac had known her, had always been the reliable one, the strong one, the dependable one. She had kept them all connected and tied to who they where. Sure, his early relationship with her had been rough and bumpy, but over the summer, they had bonded and become close. To the point he could pinpoint her crush on Scott and when she realized she had a crush on him.

And now she laid on Cora's bed, pale and dying as she stirred in and out of consciousness. Isaac took her hand, trying to take her pain but gasping at the sheer amount of pain running through her body. He took as much as he could before he had to let go.

Peter gave a wordless nod, not looking up from where he was rifling through the Hale grimoire. Isaac glanced at Derek and nearly screamed at how stone faced he was. At least Scott, despite joining the Alphas, was doing something.

Scott was being a much better Alpha despite not being an Alpha than Derek was.

Chris Argent entered the loft with Allison on his heels. Allison gasped when she saw Esmeray and Argent looked stone faced.

Argent went to Peter and the two began talking on a private corner, with Isaac shamelessly eavesdropping. "How is our daughter doing?" Chris asked. "My daughter. Not yours, not ours, mine." Peter snarled. "And I found something."

"Peter found something." he muttered to Allison who gave a thankful smile. Isaac knew the relationship between Allison and Esmeray was very complicated, but Allison deserved to know there was a chance to save Esmeray.

Hang on Esme. he thought as he pulled out his phone to text the group chat. We'll save you.

Esmeray groaned and found herself in Derek's loft. Consciousness was still slipping through her fingers like sand but she recognized her cousin's loft.

She recognized that she was dying, with her burning lungs and weakening heart. Her father and pack might be taking what pain they could, but she knew she was dying.

Derek took her hand and she turned her head to him as he started to take her pain. After a bit she squirmed, trying to signal him that he was doing enough, but he didn't stop. He took her other hand and she let out a minor gasp as all of her pain started leaving her, and a surge of energy slammed into her dying body, as her regeneration began to repair itself.

The howl that came for her cousin shook her bones as her body began to heal itself. Her eyes went straight to Derek, watching in disbelief as searing red cooled into icy blue and then he collapsed.

Esmeray pushed herself up on shaking arms, stumbling over to her cousin. It was disorienting—less than sixty seconds ago she was one foot in death's door, and now she was as good as new.

"What was that?" she asked her father. "An Alpha can give up their spark to heal a deathly ill packmate." Peter told her. "Now shower and change, Esme. You need one."

Esmeray nodded, but got Derek onto his feet and on his bed before taking a shower and changing into clean clothing. The raven haired teenager headed back to the main room of the loft.

"What did I miss?" she asked before stumbling, holding her chest as she felt her bond with Scott snap.

No. she thought, holding her heart. "NO!" she howled.

"Esme?" Peter asked. "It's Scott." she said, looking up with tear filled eyes. "Scott's gone!"

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"YOU DID WHAT!?!" Esmeray bellowed down her phone. Cora winced from how loud she yelled and she sent her cousin an apologetic look. "Esme, it was the only way. We were running out of time and this was the only way to find the Nemeton." Isaac said.

Esmeray swallowed, still reeling from the sudden broken pack bond that had been caused by Scott's death. "Esme, are you okay?" Isaac asked her.

I nearly died.
Stiles is dead.
Scott, one of the good things in my life, is dead
I never got to tell him I love him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she answered. As she waited for Derek to wake up, her bond with Scott flared up again and a wave of relief crashed over her. He's alive now, he's okay. she thought.

Derek started to stir and she brought him a glass of water. "You're okay!" Derek said weakly.

"I'm okay." she confirmed, helping him up. "Thank you."

"The moon's rising soon, Derek." Peter said. "You drained your battery all the way to the red, and there is a fully-charged Alpha on her way to rip you limb from limb."

"I'll be fine in a few hours." Derek retorted, getting up.

"I sincerely hope so, because a few hours is all that you have." her father informed him.

Her phone rang and she answered it. "Is everything okay, Boyd?" she asked her friend and packmate. "Esmeray, can please tell Scott to not rejoin the Alphas?" Boyd informed her.

"Rejoin the Alphas... Scott, what did you do?" she said flatly.

"I was desperate! And I don't think we can beat Jennifer without then." Scott answered.

The raven haired teenager took a breath, pinching her nose. "Since this is an enemy of my enemy is my friend situation, I reluctantly agree on a brief alliance with the Alphas. We can use Deucalion as bait for Jennifer." she said.

"That's actually a pretty good idea." Stiles said. "Hey Stiles, Allison. Good to know you two are okay." she said loudly over the phone so they could hear her. "Call me back when you guys got a plan."

She didn't except Ethan and Lydia to show up at Derek's door. She wordlessly let them in at Lydia's pleading look and that got her father and cousin's attention. "Hear him out." she said, sitting down at the couch.

"We know about the lunar eclipse, so don't think Kali's gonna sit around waiting for it to level the playing field. She's coming, and my brother's coming with her." Ethan said gravely.

"Good enough for me, Derek?" Peter said.

"You want me to run?" Derek scoffed.

"No, I want you to stay and get slaughtered by an Alpha with a psychotic foot fetish. Of course I want you to run, sprint, gallop, leap your way the hell out of this town!" her father said sarcastically.

"Derek, Kali's going to kick your ass." Esmeray bluntly stated. "This isn't running away, it's a tactical retreat."

"That sounds the same." Derek scoffed.

"No, running away is being a coward. Retreating is leaving to you can find a better way to beat your opponent." she disagreed.

Cora made a noise of agreement. "If you want to fight and die for something, that's fine with me. But do it for something meaningful."

Lydia started to look pale. She was instantly on her feet, approaching her best friend. "Lyds? Are you okay?" she asked gently.

The strawberry blonde gave her a wide eyed look. "I feel like I'm standing on a graveyard."

There was a long silence before Derek sighed. "Okay. I'll go."

Esmeray loaded up the back of Derek's truck with Cora's bags and slammed it shut. "You're good!" she said. Derek gave her a nod and drove off.

Her phone buzzed with a text from Scott. Meet as at the preserve.

Got it. she replied. "I'm going to go help them." she said. Peter nodded. "Stay safe. I'll keep an eye on the Banshee."

Esmeray hugged him tightly. "I love you, Dad." "I love you too, Stardust." her father replied. She let go and took off running. When she got to the edge of town she turned into her wolf form, howling loudly to try and signal Scott and Isaac.

Scott's howl followed by Isaac's cut through the night and she followed the sound. She spotted the three of them and raced over, still in wolf form. She shifted back into her human form and walked over, nodding in greeting.

"You're okay!" Scott said. She nodded, ducking her head to hide the blush rising on her cheeks. "I am." she said. "Derek and Cora left town." she informed them. "Where's Stiles and Boyd?"

"They went to Stiles's house." Allison said. "But we haven't heard anything from them." "We can't wait for them." Isaac told the group.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't we, Scott?" a British accented voice said and a growl escaped Esmeray's throat before she could stop herself.

Scott stepped in front of her, blocking her from Deucalion's view. She was flattered by the gallant (and very Scott) gesture, blushing faintly.

"We got a little delayed. Where are the others?" Scott said.

"Occupying themselves with other pursuits." Deucalion said smoothly.

"So, it's just you and me against her?" the potential True Alpha said.

"I think you'll be surprised what a good team we make." Deucalion said.

Esmeray balled her hand into fists, her claws threatening to come out. It was only years of learning self control that stopped her. She might reluctantly agree with allying with Deucalion but she didn't like it.

"Okay." Scott said. He turned to them. "Get Stiles, and get to the root cellar, okay? We'll keep Jennifer away long enough for you to get them out of there."

"How are you going to do that?" Isaac asked with a frown.

"I have a plan." Scott simply told them.

And with that, he joined Deucalion, walking away into the dark forest.

Esmeray took a breath. "I can track their scents better in my wolf form." she said to her companions, shifting into her wolf form. She stretched a bit, shaking her black pelt to get dust off of it.

Allison offered her a sweater and she sniffed it. Barking, she took off into the woods, slowing down a bit. Isaac and Allison ran after her and she continued to follow the trail as they fell in step at either side of her.

"Come on Esme, you can do it." Isaac encouraged.

Everything was much sharper and clearer in her wolf form. She followed Chris's scent through the woods before a faint sound hit her ears. His emitter. she realized and howled, surging forward.

"Esmeray, wait up!" Allison shouted. She stopped, impatiently shifting on her paws as they caught up to her. Five minutes later, they found a clearing with a massive stump. She followed Chris's scent to the entrance of the root cellar.

Esmeray shifted back into her human form and ripped open the doors. With her enhanced sight, her eyes easily adjusting to the darkness of the cellar as she hurried down the stairs.

"You found us!" Chris said. She nodded and with her claws, cut through the thick ropes. "Where's Stiles? Where's my son?" the Sheriff asked. "And Scott?" Melissa added.

"They're coming." she lied. "They're bringing help." Isaac added, struggling to get the ropes off the Sheriff. "Isaac." she said softly and he turned to her. She took the ropes with her claws and Isaac swiped through them with his own, breaking them in one go.

"Nice." Allison said. Esmeray turned to Melissa last but let Isaac break the McCall matriarch free of the ropes. "Come on, let's go." Allison said.

Just then, the earth started to shake and crumble.

She tackled Allison out of the way of a block of earth. "It's blocked!" she heard Isaac yell. Esmeray grabbed the earth and began pushing back up. "Is it me, or is this place getting smaller?" the Sheriff yelled.

"Not helping!" Isaac yelled and Esmeray remembered that her foster brother was claustrophobic. She gave him an encouraging wave of strength down their pack bond and he nodded back to her, pushing up against the earth with their super strength.

Then her strength went away. The blue eyed teenager shrieked, feeling her wolf go quiet and her senses, her strength and speed, vanish.

"It's the eclipse!" Isaac yelled.

The cellar kept getting closer and closer until it stopped. She turned to see Stiles, with an aluminum baseball bat propping up the earth, Boyd at his side.

"I always said aluminum was better than wood." the Sheriff said, inching over to his son.

After a while Esmeray felt her wolf wake up again. "It's over." she called out. Isaac let out a howl of agreement, as did Boyd.

Stiles called Scott and fifteen minutes later, a ladder was dropped into the cellar. Esmeray urged the others to get out first before climbing up, the last one out of the hole. She snarled when the ladder nearly toppled backwards.

A warm hand grabbed her wrist and hauled her up. She stumbled to her feet, panting. "Thank's Scott." she said, looking up and feeling something snap between them, as if something that was in-between their bond had become much more clearer.

Mate, mate, mate. her wolf sang.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"What's going on with you and Scott?" Lydia asked her. "Nothing." Esmeray lied through her teeth, switching out the books that she needed. "Liar." Lydia sing-songed. "Everyone with a working pair of eyes can see something changed."

Oh it's nothing Lydia, I just found out he's my mate alongside being my Alpha. she thought irritably. "When Scott became an Alpha, something did change. He ranks higher than me now on the totem pole, he's not my equal anymore. So I'm struggling to find new footing, okay?"

"And?" Lydia asked. Esmeray sighed, looked around and motioned for an empty classroom. Lydia followed her into it. "And he's my mate." she admitted.

"Oh." the Banshee said, eyes wide. "He's your Alpha and your mate?"

"Yes." Esmeray said. And in her heart, she was struggling with the contradictions.

Scott was her mate (and her crush), their bond had crafted personally by the moon goddess despite the fact that Scott did not having his end of the bond open. He was also one of the people she trusted unconditionally.

Scott was also her Alpha, the leader of her pack and was higher on the werewolf hierarchy. She could sense that on a base instinct woven into her DNA that he was an Alpha, felt the urge to follow him, felt the new knowledge that he was now an Alpha werewolf— and a True Alpha.

Esmeray was struggling with the contradictions and she didn't know what to do. So she had taken a step back until she figured out what to do.

There was also the fact that she didn't know if Scott liked her back or not, and that she had sensed from Allison's chemosignals that the huntress still had some love for Scott left. On top with her new emerging crush on Isaac and Isaac's small crush on Allison, the dynamics weren't working for her.

"Well, if you're worrying about Scott liking you back from the major crush you have on him then you don't—" Lydia started but Esmeray shushed her when she heard approaching footsteps.

The door opened and Esmeray turned to see a pretty girl of Asian descent she didn't recognize enter the room. "Oh, I'm sorry!" the girl said. "I got lost."

"It's okay. Do you need any help?" Esmeray offered. "I'm Esmeray Hale, this is my friend Lydia Martin."

"I'm Kira Yukimura, and yes, help would be awesome." the new girl, Kira said. Esmeray grabbed her bag and took the new girl's schedule. "I'll give you a tour during lunch time, meeting me outside the cafeteria on the second floor. You want to come, Lyds?"

"I promised Allison that I would sit with her during lunch today." Lydia said and left the room, sending Kira a cool, calculated look. "I don't think she likes me." Kira worried. "Don't mind her, she's a real sweetheart." Esmeray said. "She appreciates smart people with common sense with all of the crazy stuff going down in this town."

"Oh no." Kira said, eyes wide. That made Esmeray laugh. Kira cleared her throat. "I, uh, I would like that tour a lot." "Got it." the werewolf hummed.

During lunch, Esmeray did the promised tour, showing Kira where her classes where located along with where the werewolf's locker was if the new girl had any questions. At the end the two girls sat down at one of the empty picnic tables.

"So Ms.Blake was the serial killer and the English teacher." Kira muttered, eyes wide. "Our new English teacher was vetted personally by the Sheriff." the dark haired teenager promised.

Boyd's scent of chestnuts and clove hit her nose and she sent a little flare of warmth down their pack bond. Boyd returned it as he sat down next to her. "Is this the Avoid Awkwardness Table? Because if it is I would like to join." the African American werewolf asked.

"Yes it is. I'm Team Avoid The Awkward Romance and Kira here is Team I Just Got Here So I Have No Idea What's Going On." Esmeray said. "Kira, this is Vernon Boyd, but he just goes by Boyd. He's one of the best friends you can ask for. Boyd, this is Kira Yukimura. She's the new girl and very nice."

"Nice to meet you." Kira squeaked, her heart stuttering at Boyd's welcoming smile and Esmeray smothered a smile. After Erika's death, she had become worried for Boyd, and she thought Kira was a good match for him. "Welcome to Beacon Hills." Boyd said. "So, have Scott and Stiles jumped ship yet?" the werewolf asked.

"They have, they're hiding out on the rooftop I think. Lydia decided to have lunch in the library when I left to avoid Isaac and Allison." Boyd explained.

"I know Lydia." Kira said. Esmeray snapped her fingers. "I'm sorry. Scott and Stiles are two of our friends but those two have been friends since kindergarten. Isaac is my foster brother and another friend of ours, while Allison is Scott's ex. The latter two have been crushing on each other for who's know long and getting some ungodly sexual tension." she explained.

"It's not as worse as you and Scott's unresolved romantic tension." Boyd teased. "Scott doesn't like me back." Esmeray denied, though her inner wolf perked at Boyd's words.

"You're wrong. He's been crushing on you since the end of sophomore year." Boyd insisted, looking genuinely earnest.

Esmeray gave a hum as her only answer, not trusting herself to talk.

"So in summary: Scott and Allison are exes, and Isaac, your foster brother is now crushing on Allison and Allison likes him back, while Scott is crushing on you and vice versa, though you're in denial about it." Kira said. Boyd laughed. "Essentially. That's why Esme and I are eating lunch here with you to avoid the awkwardness that would be going down at our usual table."

"I think Allison still likes Scott though." Esmeray added, trying to get the heat off of her.

Boyd paused. "That makes so much sense now."

"You're friend group is strange." Kira declared.

With four werewolves, a huntress, a human, and a Banshee, tell me about it. Esmeray thought dryly.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

It had been three weeks after the Nemeton had been awaken and two weeks after meeting Kira, and Esmeray had noticed the effects on Allison, Scott, and Stiles on the second week after the ritual. Jumpiness and tiredness seemed to be the extent of it, but she still kept a close eye on them.

Other than that, she continued to avoid Scott whenever she could, hang out with Kira, Lydia, and her other friends, and help train Boyd a bit with his senses while Peter helped Boyd with his strength training.

Derek, to her worry, hadn't been heard from since he left to return Cora to her new pack back in Brazil. Her cousin had given her her phone number, but Esmeray was still sad to see Cora leave.

Esmeray parked her car before grabbing her bag and getting out, Isaac also getting out. "I'll go look for Boyd." Isaac said. "See you at lunch, sis." Esmeray smiled softly. "See you at lunch, brother."

Peter had gotten the official adoption papers through, to the delight of both teens. As she headed into the school, she stopped when she saw a pale and exhausted looking Stiles. She immediately went over to the human. "Stiles, are you okay?" she asked.

Stiles nearly jumped when he heard her, obviously not having seen her. "Oh, Esme! Yeah I'm fine—"

She cut him off. "You're lying." With that, she took his hand, frowning at how cold it was. She began to take some of his pain away and Stiles gave a tiny sigh of relief before moving his hand away. "I had a nightmare." he admitted. "I think... I think the ritual is still affecting Scott, Allison, and I, or it's still affecting me at least. Have you seen Scott? Or Allison?"

"Nope. Let's go find him." Esmeray said and the two entered the school.

She spotted Scott running down the stairs, though his gaze was focused on his shadow. She shot Stiles a worried look and he nodded, slowing down. Esmeray jogged over to him and grabbed his wrists, stopping Scott in his tracks. The Alpha werewolf growled slightly before recognizing her. "Hey, you alright?" she asked.

"You don't look alright." Stiles added, joining them.

"I'm fine." Scott said, though his heart skipped a beat, giving him away.

"No you're not. You're seeing things, aren't you? Like Stiles." Esmeray said firmly, before realizing she was still holding his wrists. Faintly blushing, the evolved werewolf promptly let go.

Her mate looked shot. "How did you know?" he asked, looking at her and Stiles.

She opened her mouth to respond but then sensed Lydia and Allison approaching. She turned to Lydia who nodded. "Because it's happening to all three of you." the Banshee said firmly.

After getting the entire story from the three, Esmeray pushed open the doors to the hallway.

"Well, well, well... Look who's no longer the crazy one." Lydia mused, sounding slightly to gleefully over the whole situation.

"We're not crazy!" Allison protested.

"Hallucinating? Sleep paralysis? Yeah, you guys are fine." Lydia snarked. Esmeray let out a tired sigh, fixing her best friend with a look that read Please don't tease them.

"We did die and come back to life... That's gotta have some side effects, right?" Scott said. The four of them turned to her with expectant looks on their faces.

She sighed. "Just because I was raised by a druid doesn't mean I know everything. But I will check with Deaton after school. Scott, Stiles, Allison, keep an eye on each other from now on until we fix this. I'll tell Boyd and Isaac as well. And Lydia, please stop enjoying this so much."

There were murmurs of agreement from the others and everyone split up.

Art class.

Esmeray's favorite class.

As she finished painting an ocean scene, she looked up to see Allison looking troubled. "Watch my painting?" she asked Isaac, who nodded. She got up and headed over to Allison and Lydia.

"You okay?" she asked, getting her half sister's attention. Her blue eyes turned to the wobbly looking shape Allison had been painting. "My hands have been shaking to much since that night." the brunette informed her.

Esmeray took some of her pain away. "That happened to me after the fire. Deaton taught me a breath exercise, the 4-7-8 one. Do you want me to teach it to you?"

Allison nodded and Esmeray quickly taught her the breathing technique before heading back to her spot. She missed the hopeful smile Allison sent her way.

After class she headed to her locker before heading to Scott and Stiles's lockers, which were right next to each other. She spotted Stiles getting frustrated with his combo, and took it. "Let me." she muttered and the human nodded in thanks.

As she began to unlock it for him she turned to the two boys. "How have you two been?" the dark haired werewolf asked softly.

"I keep seeing my shadow change." Scott admitted. Esmeray unlocked Stiles's locker, and when she looked up, Scott's eyes were now longer the usual rich tree bark brown color, but a bright, brilliant, luminescent ruby red.

The eyes of an Alpha werewolf

Forcing herself to not visibly panic, she nudged Stiles, who turned to Scott and his eyes widened.

"Scott, your eyes." Stiles hissed.

Scott closed his eyes before opening them. "I can't get them to stop." he said.

"Alright, keep your head down and eyes closed." Esmeray instructed, taking him by the arm and into an empty classroom. When they entered Scott took of his jacket to try and cool down, growling as he did so.

She moved closer, Stiles doing the same thing, but he held his hand back, claws visible. "Get back away from me!" he growled, his Alpha voice mixing in with the words.

Esmeray shook off the command with ease. "No." she said and moved closer, grabbing him by the wrists again. He stumbled but she didn't let go, forcing him to look at her. "Focus on me and just me. Ignore everything else, Scott."

"Get back, Esmeray." Scott snarled, his fangs growing. "No." she said again. She let her eyes glow gold, meeting Scott's burning ruby red ones. "You won't hurt me. Focus on my voice, Scott. Focus on my heart beat. Just take deep breathes, okay? Breathe with me."

Esmeray gently began to guide Scott through the breathing exercise, and she felt her inner wolf breath in sync with his. His claws and fangs retracted and his red eyes faded back into the deep chocolate brown she loved. Her gold eyes turned back to her usual ice-blue hue and she let him go.

"Thank you." Scott said and she could swear she could see his cheeks darken with blush.

Before she could focus on that, Stiles spoke up. "This isn't just in our heads. This is real. And it's starting to get bad for me, too... I'm not just having nightmares— I'm having dreams where I have to literally scream myself awake. And sometimes, I'm not even sure if I'm actually ever waking up."

"What do you mean?" Esmeray asked, instantly concerned for her friend and pack mate.

"You know how you can tell you're dreaming? You can't read in dreams. More and more, the past few days, I've been having trouble reading. It's like I can't see the words— I can't put the letters in order." Stiles explained.

Scott looked at the board before getting up. "You can't read the board, can you?"

The human shook his head. "No, no I can't."

Esmeray looked in-between them, concern and worry flooding her veins. "We need to find a cure for you boys and Allison. And fast."

The next day, she informed Kira that she would be sitting with her usual group of friends, along with Boyd. While she regretted leaving the Yukimura girl on her own for lunch, she couldn't invite Kira to come with her, given the fact that the topic on the table would be all about the supernatural.

She sat next to Scott with Isaac on her other side, Stiles sitting across from her with Lydia and Allison on his side of the table as well. Boyd had dragged over a chair to sit at one end of the table.

"Okay, so— what happens to a person who has a near-death experience and comes out of it seeing things?" Scott started. "And is unable to tell what's real or not?" Stiles added. Esmeray had heard about the incident he had suffered, and the other one where Allison had nearly killed Lydia. "And is being haunted by demonic visions of dead relatives?"

She stomped on Isaac's foot before he could make a sarcastic comment. "In the human community, they get put in an insane asylum." she said before pulling out one of the oldest grimoire's the Hale family had owned, this one written by Alpha Jake Hale and the legendary druid, Katerina. Which meant it was all about rituals, herbs, magic, what the rituals, did, and side affects of rituals. "Luckily this grimoire is all about magic and rituals and I was able to find the ritual you three did, and it's side affects. The darkness around your heart is one of the minor side affects."

"One of the minor side affects?!" Stiles repeated, looking shocked.

"Yup. The side affects you three are experiencing right now is because when you died, you opened yourself up to the dead, allowing them to influence you. Demons, ghosts that haven't moved on, it's easier for them to reach out to you since you three died. You opened the metaphorical door that kept you safe from the dead and beings who can mess with your mind, and now you have to close it." Esmeray explained. "When I died twice before," Allison flinched. "The first time, evolving shut the door. Then Aunt Talia shut the door for me. But you guys haven't gotten as lucky. You need to shut the door in your mind."

"Well that's fascinating." Isaac snarked.

"Hi." she heard Kira's voice and instantly snapped the book close before turning to her new friend. "Hi, sorry... I couldn't help overhearing what you guys were talking about... And, I think I actually might know what you're talking about. There's a Tibetan word for it— it's called 'Bardo'. It literally means 'in-between state'. The state between life and death."

I should add that down. the blue eyed teenager thought. "Guys, this is Kira." Boyd said. "So, are you talking Bardo in Tibetan Buddhism or Indian?" Lydia asked.

Kira shrugged. "Either, I guess... But, all the stuff you guys were just saying? All that happens in Bardo. There are different progressive states where you can have hallucinations. Some you see, some you just hear. And you can be visited by peaceful or wrathful deities."

"And wrathful deities are like demons?" Isaac asked. "Yup." Kira said cheerfully. "Demons. Why not?" Stiles said tiredly.

"What happens in the final state?" Allison asked.

"Death. You die." Kira said casually.

Well shit. Esmeray thought down her pack/mate bond to Scott. He gave her a dry look but that also read Yup.

Well, everything had just gotten a lot more complicated.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

The following day at school, Esmeray meet Scott, Stiles, and Allison in the history class during the few minutes in-between classes. She had gotten the entire story from Stiles the other night.

"Here's where we found the den. It's right in the middle of the hiking trails." Stiles said, holding out the tablet for herself and Allison to see.

"Well, that could narrow it down. Coyotes travel in fixed trails. But, I think you're right about her not going back to the den. Coyotes don't like wolves, and they're really smart— if they don't want to be heard, they actually walk on their toes." Allison said.

"Yes, Stiles, coyotes tip toe." Esmeray said before Stiles could open his mouth.

The Stilinski boy nodded. "Anyways, I'll try and find what I can on were coyotes in the grimoires."

"I love those books." Stiles said. "Any idea on how Malia got stuck in her coyote form?" Scott asked.

The warning bell rang just as the other three turned to look at her. "Later." Esmeray said. "Send us the pinned location, okay?" she asked. The two boys nodded and she left with Allison.

She went to her Algebra II class and as she headed to lunch, sensed another supernatural. Similar too werewolves, but different.

"Malia." she growled and raced to where she had sensed the were-coyote. She saw Kira standing before a staircase, with the coyote on top of the stairs. She flared her eyes at the coyote, a silent Back off before grabbing Kira's wrist. "Run!" she shouted and dragged the other girl away.

They rushed into the boy's locker room, with Esmeray slamming the door shut. "Hide!" she hissed, guiding the other girl further into the room and pushing her behind some lockers. Malia, girl's locker room she screamed down her pack bonds with the others.

Coming came Scott's response, deeper and more firmer than the other times. The dark haired teenager heard glass shatter and took a breath, peaking around a corner. Her eyes flared gold again when she made eye contact with Malia, who's eyes flared blue.

She felt a deep kinship to the girl, not just the fact that they were both evolved shapeshifters, but something... more.

Dad, please don't tell me you slept with a were-coyote. she thought. Esmeray got up slowly and Kira followed as they backed away.

Scott's cedar and lemon scent hit her nose and she turned to see him. He motioned for her to get behind him and she did, pulling Kira behind her.

Scott pushed a row of lockers and they went down like dominoes. The coyote growled and took off.

"Thanks." she said and Scott gave her a smile that caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach. "You're welcome."

The cops and animal control showed up, as did her father.

"Are you okay?" her father asked, checking her over. "I'm fine dad. Any word on Derek?"

"Nope. I've sent a mercenary to go get him." her father said. "Dad, that coyote was a were-coyote." she whispered. "And... and I felt a kinship bond to her."

Peter rubbed his head. "Talia took some of my memories some time before you were born. This Malia Tate was born before you were born, and I... I think I slept with someone around that time."

"So there's a possibility that she's my half sister." Esmeray murmured. "Yup." Peter sighed.

Mr.Tate came storming in and Peter tugged her arm. "Let's go." he said and she nodded, leaving the locker room. But not before she heard the man say one thing.

"You find that animal! You find that thing!"

"You want my help to learn how to do the Alpha roar?" Peter asked as Scott, Stiles, and Boyd, and stood before him in the apartment after school that day. Esmeray stood to the side, watching from the kitchen. Boyd looked throughly amused by the whole situation as he stood next to her.

"You're the only Alpha I know I can trust a little bit." Scott admitted.

"Well, the thing is, when it comes to the roar, it's all instinct. You have to trigger it through willpower or something else. Like encouragement from a friend... or romantic partner." her father said with a shit eating grin.

Esmeray felt her cheeks burn as she avoided everyone's gaze. She could hear Isaac quietly giggling and she glared at him.

"So we get Esme here to— oh God put the claws down Esme!" Boyd yelled as she pounced on him.

Needless to say, everyone was far too busy stopping her from murdering Boyd for Scott to learn the Alpha roar. By then, they had to leave for the preserve to go save Malia.

Esmeray parked her car and got out. Stiles parked his jeep nearby, with Lydia emerging from the car alongside with him. Scott parked his dirt bike next to her car as Allison arrived in her car along with Isaac.

"Anyone else think we night be doing more harm than good?" Lydia said, breaking the silence. "We're trying to keep a father from killing his own daughter." Scott said.

"Actually... we're trying to keep a guy from killing a coyote, who is actually his daughter... who we don't know how to change from a coyote back to his daughter." Isaac said. Esmeray stomped on his foot without missing a beat.

"Did you bring it?" Scott asked Allison, who nodded. She opened the back her car to reveal the tranquilizer gun, tentatively picking up the gun.

A gunshot rang out through the woods. Scott jumped on his dirt bike and revved off.

God dammit Scott. she thought, gritting her teeth.

But she didn't even hesitate, breaking into a run. She caught up to him with ease and jumped onto the dirt bike while it was still moving. She wrapped her arms around, him, burying her face in his crook of his neck to avoid getting hit in the eyes with a piece of dirt.

As they drove through the woods, Isaac's pained scream hit her ears, a wave of agony flooding from his end of her bond with him. She shrieked in alarm and Scott let go of the bike, causing it to tip and throw them off. She slammed on the forest floor, her head hitting something sharp. She grunted in pain and tried to roll, only for something to close around her right arm and left leg.

Bear trap. she thought in alarm before screaming in pain as the trap shut. The metal ripped through her flesh and nearly hit her arm and leg bones. Her healing power triggered, trying to heal around the metal, but it only made it worse. The trap simply pulled in tighter, closer to her leg bone. Black spots danced around in her vision as she nearly blacked out.

"Esmeray!" Scott shouted, rushing to her side. He easily ripped away the bear trap around her arm and moved on to the next one. She let out a sigh of relief but crumbled when she tried to stand up.

Scott caught her easily and propped her up against a rock. "Wait here I can get some help." Scott said.

"No, Scott, you have to go. You have to save Malia." she insisted.

"I can't do the roar, Esmeray." Scott said, and she saw terror in his brown eyes.

"You did it before, with Isaac, remember? Just give into your instincts, be the Alpha. Be the Alpha you want to be. Not a beast, not a monster, but an Alpha that cares for and protects their own. You can do it Scott. You've always had it in you." she encouraged.

Scott nodded before taking off, quickly vanishing into the preserve.

"You got this, Scott." she murmured to herself, but she knew he could hear her.

After a few minutes, a thunderous roar shook the woods, ricocheting from tree to tree as it traveled through the forest. She howled in response, along with Isaac's own roar joining in. Scott's roar let up a spark in her chest and made their bond flare brighter, though his end of the mating bond didn't open.

"There it is." she whispered to herself, smiling proudly.

(A mile away, Scott heard the whisper and it made something in his chest stir, to have the Pack Heart's approval, and some other emotion he couldn't name)

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Two days after saving Malia, Esmeray parked her car in place and was about to get out when Isaac grabbed her arm. "Is it me, or is that Ethan and Aiden talking to Scott and Stiles?" he asked in a low voice. Esmeray turned her head and she followed his gaze to see the twins with Scott and Stiles.

"Yup." she muttered under her breath. She then her one of the twins (maybe Aiden) say "You need a pack. We need an Alpha."

"Of fuck no." Isaac growled and got out of the car, striding over to where the twins where talking to Scott and Stiles. "Isaac!" Esmeray shouted, scrambling out of the car—she made sure to lock it—and hurrying after her adopted brother.

She got there in time to hear Isaac say "I can think of one... Like, the two of you holding Derek's claws while Kali impaled Boyd." the six foot two werewolf said. He glared at the twins. "In fact, I don't know why we're not impaling them right now."

One twin, most definitely Aiden, bared his fangs. "You want to try?"

"Okay people, we are not getting in a fight in front of school." she snapped, pushing Isaac back and deliberately putting herself in-between Isaac and Aiden, sending her pack mate a look that read I get your grudge, but this isn't the time/place for a fight. Isaac sent a wave of grudging acceptance down their bond.

"Esme has a point." Stiles said. "No werewolf fights please. There are very fragile humans nearby— me."

Scott finally spoke. "Sorry, but they don't trust you... And neither do I." he said, his voice firm. He walked away, and Esmeray walked after him, with Isaac falling in step next to her. She thought she saw Scott scowl at that, but it was so fast she dismissed it.

"I got to go to my locker, what about you?' her brother asked. "I'm okay. Tell Allison I say hi." she said.

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "I said I'm going to my locker, not to find Allison."

"We both know you're going to go look for her after you go to your locker." she said teasingly.

She saw him smile a bit and she sighed, knowing their conversation about him dating possibly Allison was coming up. "Isaac, I'm somewhat against hunter-werewolf relationships since they almost always end in pain, but Allison seems nice. Go for it."

"Seems nice?" Isaac said.

"Her and Scott." the dark haired girl said defensively. "Just be careful, okay? Because if there are rumors about you two together, then it means that Hunters will come after you. I don't want you to die."

"I won't." Isaac promised. "I'll be careful."

They hugged before parting ways.

Esmeray sat in Finstock's class when the inevitable crashing sounds where heard from his office and the lacrosse coach yelled "SON OF A BITCH!" very loudly.

On reflex, she looked at Scott and Stiles, both of whom gave her two innocent smiles she didn't believe for a second.

Finstock burst into the room. "Mischief Night! Devil's Night! I don't care what you call it— you little punks are evil!" he yelled over the laughs and giggles. "You think it's funny, every Halloween my house gets egged?"

Esmeray smothered a smile, remembering that in her freshman year, she had been the one assigned to egg his house. That had been a fun night.

The coach continued his rant. "A man's house is supposed to be his castle! Mine's a frickin' omelette!"

The teacher picked up a gift and held it up. "Oh, this? We're gonna do this again? I don't think so!" Finstock yelled, throwing it to the ground. There was a crunch noise. Finstock picked it up, revealing a card and a broken coffee cup. "'Happy birthday... love Greenberg'".

She saw Lydia waving her hand at something and turned to her. "Is something wrong?" she whispered.

"There's a fly!" the banshee responded. The female werewolf frowned. "Lyds, there isn't any flies in here."

Lydia stopped. "Oh no."

Esmeray swallowed back a groan. We can't have a single, normal day of school, can't we? she lamented.

She was proven correct when Stiles rushed to her during lunch, rambling something about "William Barrow went after kids with glowing eyes and he was spotted here at the school."

"Barrow went after kids with glowing eyes? He said those exact words?" Isaac said as the group rushed down the stairs.

After Stiles had come to her, Esmeray had assembled Allison, Isaac, and Lydia. She had no idea where Scott was, but she did know that Boyd was having lunch/wooing Kira like the sweet natured werewolf he was.

"No, Isaac, he went after kids with perfectly normal eyes. Yes, glowing eyes." she said sarcastically, jumping down the last two steps.

"Yeah, and no one knows how he woke up from anesthesia— just that when they opened him up, they found a tumor full of live flies, which in any other circumstance would be all kinds of awesome." Stiles added.

Esmeray stopped in her tracks to give him a concerned look.

She heard Lydia stop walking and turned to her best friend. "Did you say flies?" the strawberry blonde asked.

"Lydia?" Esmeray asked in concern, her blue eyes fixed on her best friend.

"All day, I have been hearing this sound. It's like this buzzing..." the banshee trailed off. Her half sister walked up next to her.

"Like the sound of flies?" Allison asked."

"Exactly like the sound of flies." Lydia confirmed.

Well, everything just got a whole lot worse. the ravenette thought bleakly.

The werewolf turned to Stiles. "We need to find Scott."

"Yes, yes we do." Stiles agreed. "Esme and I will find Scott. Isaac, Lydia, Allison, go get Boyd."

"He's with Kira at the picnic tables." Esmeray supplied before bursting into a sprint, following Scott's scent. She heard Stiles yelling behind her as she weaved through the halls.

She found Scott standing in a hallway she ran by. She cursed, switched directions, and rushed over to him.

"Esmeray? What's wrong?" Scott asked her. Stiles joined them, panting. "Dude, where the hell have you been?" the Stilinski boy groaned.

Lydia then walked over from Scott's opposite. "The police are leaving. Why are they leaving?"

"The police?" Scott repeated, with an adorable confused look on his face—Not the time, Hale. she scolded herself.

She saw the spark of realization flare up in Stiles's eyes. "They must have cleared the building and grounds, which means he's not here." Stiles said.

"Who? What are you guys—" Scott started but Lydia cut him off. "He has to be here. That sound... that buzzing I've been hearing? It's getting louder." the banshee insisted.

Her woods caused Esmeray to panic, and she didn't try to hide it, causing Scott to look at her with worry and slight fear.

"How loud?" Stiles asked in concern.

The raven haired werewolf pinched her nose in exasperation. "Lyds, Stiles, go find the Sheriff and stop him from leaving. Beg, barter, steal— just don't let him and the police leave. If you have to do something illegal, don't fuck up and don't get caught." she instructed.

Stiles gave her a salute before taking off, Lydia on his heels. She turned to Scott, who looked utterly lost.

"What's going on!?" Scott asked in exasperation.

"William Barrow has happened." Esmeray said flatly. "The guy, when he bombed the bus, went after kids with glowing eyes. And the police spotted him here."

"Oh shit." Scott cursed and she snorted in amusement. "Yeah, and Stiles said that in the middle of his surgery, flies burst out from a tumor. And Lydia has been hearing flies all day."

"And since the police haven't found him, they're leaving." Scott finished. "But we can find him given our abilities."

"Thankfully, once in a blue moon, having an enhanced sense of smell is useful in a high school full of the sent of drugs, sex, hormones, and sweat. " Esmeray said dryly. She rubbed her hands together. "Barrow's most likely hidden in the basement, given all the hiding spots down there. Allison and Isaac have hopefully located Boyd by now, but we need something to get Barrow's scent."

"I'll call my mom. You get Boyd and Isaac." Scott said, pulling out his phone. He paused. "Get Ethan and Aiden too. I don't trust them, but we need all hands on deck. And Barrow might be going after them too."

One part of her wolf instincts protested against siding with people who had hurt her pack but logic won that battle. Oh Scott, you care too much. she thought before nodding and leaving her alpha.

(Her mate)

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"Why are they here?" Isaac said, pointing at Aiden and Ethan.

"We need their help, Isaac." Esmeray said, already feeling the ghost of a pounding headache.

"Scott asked for our help." Aiden said, baring his fangs.

"And this mass-murder psychopath is a threat to all of us." Ethan swiftly added his two cents.

"He's right." Boyd said, but still looked uncomfortable to be around the people who helped get him almost killed. Esmeray casually stood in-between the twins and Boyd, a subtle barrier. The bitten werewolf gave her a thankful smile.

Scott entered, holding a bag. "Lydia thinks that he's still here, even though the cops searched the whole school." he explained. "But, they didn't have one thing— our sense of smell."

He handed it to her, and she sniffed it before passing it to Boyd. "We're going to split up and search the basement. If it works, we'll meet in the middle of the boiler room."

"I'll go with Ethan and Aiden." the born werewolf said. "What, no!" Isaac protested. She noticed even Scott looked reluctant to let her go with the twins, something she pushed aside.

"I'm the only one other than Scott here to not kill them." she told Boyd and Isaac. "She's also stronger than us." Ethan said helpfully as he finished sniffing the bag. Scott took the bag from him. "Let's go, we have until three to find him. If you find his scent, give a call— a phone call. Or try and send it down the pack bond."

"Come on." Esmeray said to the twins and headed for the basement. She flared her wolf eyes as she walked through the basement, the twins on her heels. "Uh, thank you for trusting us enough to go into the basement to look for this mass murderer?" Aiden said awkwardly.

She stopped and turned around to face them. "Okay, first thing first: I don't trust either of you for what you did. You hurt my pack, and you almost got me and Braeden, the girl who saved me, killed. But I do understand you were being used as attack dogs for psychopaths. I slightly like Ethan here more because he did the right thing and warned Derek, but I don't trust the two of you."

There was a pause. "Will we ever earn your guys's trust?" Aiden asked softly.

"I don't know." Esmeray admitted. "You guys are being too aggressive in your attempts to get in, and that's a main reason why Scott isn't accepting you—he knows you just want protection, but he doesn't know if you'll be genuine pack members who will back us up."

The twins looked crestfallen.

"But there is a chance." she said. "Do you think Derek and Isaac immediately became best friends with Scott and Stiles? No, they got where they are now because they worked for it, by helping us and yes, through some life and death situations. Same for me, I was a loner last year with only Lydia as my friend. The only reason I got involved with Scott and Stiles was because I had to teach Scott how to be a werewolf after he was turned. That turned into trying to find out who the Alpha was, and then fighting the Kanima. We became friends, but it wasn't right away. So you two have to slow it down a little. Take the baby steps, lay down the foundation for an actual friendship."

"Thanks for the advice." Aiden said, looking thoughtful. "Now come on, let's catch this guy before he kills us."

Esmeray let out a laugh at the dark humor and she nodded. "Can't you do your wolf form?" Ethan suggested. The dark haired girl blinked before nodding. "You're right." she said, and shape shifted, shedding her human skin for her wolf body.

She walked in a circle to make sure everything was in check before wandering around, trying to find Barrow's scent. Soft, small sounds caught her attention and she rushed over, shifting back into her human form and turning the corner, the twins right on her heels.

It wasn't Barrow.

It was Danny and his ex, Michael, making out. They separated, frozen like deer in headlights and looking mortified. Ethan and Aiden popped out behind her. Shaking with silent laughter, Esmeray walked away.

"Oh, really?" she heard Ethan say, offended, and she burst into laughter alongside Aiden.

Ethan stormed over. "Shut up." he grumbled and walked away. With giggles still escaping her, she followed.

The blue eyed teenager jumped at the sudden noise of the fire alarm, a yell of pain escaping her throat. She slammed her hands over her ears and stumbled. "Let's go!" she yelled at the twins and ran out of the boiler room.

She slammed into someone and when she looked up, she saw it was Scott, with Boyd and Isaac behind him. "Five bucks it's Stiles." she said. Scott gave her a flat look. "I'm not taking that bet."

"Besides, it's most likely Stiles." Isaac pipped up. The twins joined them and once they got out of the boiler room, blended in with the mass of students.

"Did you guys find anything?" she asked once they stopped at a little patch of grass.

"Nothing." Boyd confirmed. "You?"

"Unless you count Danny making out with his ex, then no." Aiden said. Ethan glared at him while Isaac chuckled.

Esmeray heard Lydia and Stiles's footsteps and turned around to face them.

"We didn't find anything." Aiden told them.

"Not even a scent." Scott confirmed.

"It's three o'clock, so school's over. If there was a bomb, wouldn't he have set it off by now?" Stiles wondered.

"Well, does it mean that there is no bomb?" Boyd suggested.

Esmeray turned to Lydia, tilting her head in a silent question.

The strawberry blonde shook her head. "I don't know... I just don't know..."

As her father had texted her that he was helping Derek, Esmeray drove straight for the apartment building Derek owned and headed to his loft— Isaac had gone to help Allison. She opened the door of the loft to see her father sticking his claws into Derek's neck.

"It's not what it looks like." her father said instantly. She raised an eyebrow at that, closing the door behind her as she entered. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Derek here found Talia's claws with the Calavera's. And he then had me wear them and stick him into his neck so he could talk to Talia." her father explained. "I could have sworn I read about that ritual. If you fuck up, he dies." she said.

"I'm aware of that." her father said dryly. "Which is why I advised him to not do it. But it's Derek."

Esmeray nodded. "We didn't find Barrow." she said. "Lydia was convinced he was at the school but we didn't find him, even though we had his scent."

Peter tilted his head. "There's a strong chance he was there. But if he masked his scent..."

"Then it hid him from us." she realized.

The werewolf pulled out her phone and texted the pack group chat.

Dark Moon: Barrow's still at the school.
Dark Moon: He must have used chemicals or something to hide his scent.

There was a buzz before Stiles's responded.

Knockoff Batman: He's after Kira.

"Fuck." Esmeray swore. Kira was of Japanese descent and a major supernatural species from Japan were Kitsune. That was the only reason why Barrow could be after Kira— she was a Kistune.

She was distracted by Derek gasping for breath and getting out of the chair. He stumbled forward, an emotion on his face that Esmeray couldn't name.

"Did you see her?" Her father asked. "What did you ask her? Did she say anything about me?"

Esmeray grimaced at the look on Derek's face. "Something bad is happening, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes, yes there is." Derek said.

"...That was a rhetorical question." she said dryly.

Her phone buzzed and she looked to see that it was Scott.

Wonder Wolf: Just had a showdown with Barrow. He's dead but we're okay.

Esmeray sighed and texted back:

Dark Moon: I leave you alone for five minutes.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray looked up from where she was nursing a cup of lavender tea when Isaac entered the apartment, pale faced and looking awful. "Pardon my French, but what the fuck happened to you?" she asked bluntly.

"Shadow fucking ninjas." Isaac said. "I'm going to bed, interrogate me in the morning."

And with that, her brother vanished into his bed room.

Esmeray rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'm moving to Alaska the first chance I get." she vowed. "I'm getting away from this town's trouble magnet hurricane of chaotic bullshit."

"Ditto." Isaac's sleepy voice called from his room.

The next day, Esmeray instantly noticed Kira avoiding her during the school day, so the werewolf resolved to track down the Kitsune during lunch.

How did Esmeray confirm Kira was a kistune? After reading one of the family grimoires she had looked at Kira with her wolf eyes, and saw the distinctive fox aura surrounding Kira.

As she switched out her books between first and second period, her wolf suddenly perked up and purred. She swallowed nervously, turning around to confirm Scott was leaning against the lockers next to her. "Do you think Kira could be like us?" he asked. "I mean, she did go through electricity, but she could be a supernatural species."

"She's a Kistune." Esmeray confirmed, keeping her voice low. She spotted Kira before turning back to Scott. "Look at her with her wolf eyes— untrained Kitsune's have fox aura's around them."

Scott blinked, his pretty brown eyes turning red as he discreetly glanced at Kira. "You're right. Where did you get this information?" he asked before pausing and looking at her. "Hale family grimoire?"

Her lips twitched into a faint smile. "Hale family grimoire." she confirmed. "I'll talk to her during lunch."

"Stiles thinks she could be a bad person." Scott said. "Stiles thinks we shouldn't talk to her until we, and I quote 'Figure out if she's just another psychotic monster that's going to start murdering everybody.'."

She let out a small laugh. "One, that's definitely something Stiles would say after the fuckery this town has gone through, and two, it's Kira. She's an absolute sweetheart."

Scott smiled at her and Esmeray felt the army of butterflies erupt in her stomach. She felt her cheeks turn a faint pink color as she reigned in her inner wolf. "You're right."

"I'll tell Stiles that Kira is a Kistune, then I'll go talk to Kira." she promised before walking away.

Esmeray kept her word and cornered Stiles in the library during brunch. "Just to be clear, Kira is a Kitsune, not a psychotic monster that is going to start murdering everybody." she told him, sarcasm bleeding off her words.

"One, you said that with so much sarcasm Satan is currently hiding from you," Stiles told her, completely straight faced. "And two, thank's for the explanation. Grimoire?"

"Grimoire." she confirmed.

During lunch, Esmeray located Kira in one of the corridors. "Please don't ask." Kira said and Esmeray nodded, sitting down next to Kira and opening her sketchbook. She began to draw a thunderstorm. "So, you heard about Megan and Joseph's latest fight? There's already a betting pool on when they'll get back together." she asked casually.

"Do you have your phone?" Kira asked her, making the ravenette look up. She nodded. "Take a picture of me, with the flash."

Slowly piercing together what was going to happen, Esmeray did as ask. "Huh, I wish I got an aura when I used the flash. All I have are my eyes destroying every selfie I take."

"What?" Kira asked, looking confused. Esmeray let her wolf eyes come through, blue turning into a burning gold color. "Welcome to the supernatural community of Beacon Hills, Kira." the evolved werewolf said dryly.

"What are you?" the new girl asked. "I'm an evolved werewolf, and you're a Kistune."

Esmeray deleted the picture of Kira's aura from her phone. "I really hope you deleted any picture of your aura, Kira." she said. "That's the first rule I was taught once I got a phone."

The look on Kira's face made her anxious. "You deleted any picture, right?" she asked.

"...No?" the dark eyed Kitsune said nervously.

"You have your phone right?" Esmeray asked before the realization hit her. "The police took it, didn't they?" she asked.

Kira nodded and Esmeray sighed. "We need to delete those pictures. And fast."

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

After explaining everything to Scott and Stiles, the two teenagers agreed to help her and Kira. So after school, Esmeray drove herself and Kira to the Sheriff's station to delete the pictures.

She saw a familiar blue jeep and she sighed in relief. "Good, they're here." she said, seeing Scott and Stiles.

She parked the car but Kira grabbed her arm. "Wait, what did you tell them?" Kira asked her anxiously. The evolved werewolf shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "They already know you're a Kitsune, so I had to tell them about your aura." she explained nervously.

"Ah." Kira said. "But they're willing to help— at the end of the day, the supernatural community here can agree on one thing: we

can't be discovered." Esmeray promised. "And Stiles and Scott are really good friends, and some of the best people I know."

She got out of the car with Kira at her heels, approaching the two boys. "Thank you so much for this." Kira said. "I can't thank you enough." "Really, Scott, Stiles. Thank you." Esmeray added. Thank you for helping my friend and another innocent person caught up in this town's mess. was unspoken, but she knew the True Alpha and the human heard it.

"Anything to help." Scott said with a warm smile that made an army of butterflies appear in her stomach.

"We also didn't have anything else interesting to do." Stiles quipped. He pulled out a card and handed it to Esmeray. "Okay, this one will get you into all of the perimeter doors," he said and handed her another card. "This one into the evidence room," Stiles pulled out a third card. "And this one's for my father's office."

"Should I be concerned if you stole them?" Esmeray asked teasingly. Stiles looked offended. "Hey, I'm above stealing these little things." he declared. "I cloned them using the RFID emulator."

"Of course you did." Esmeray snarked. Scott looked a little alarmed, as did Kira. "Is that worse than stealing?" the brown eyed Alpha asked.

"No, it's smarter." Stiles said so earnestly Esmeray was amused by it. The human suddenly looked serious. "So, now almost everybody's out dealing with the blackout, but there's always somebody at the front desk— there's dispatch and usually a night-shifter or two. You guys are gonna use the service entrance by the dumpster, all right? Nobody uses it. Now, I'll text you if anyone comes out, but Scott, Esme, Kira, if you three get caught, I can't help you. My dad's under investigation for an impeachment because of Scott's dad, so... if anything happens, I will run and leave you three for dead."

A little part of Esmeray was offended with his lack of loyalty to the pack. But the bigger part of her stomped that out— Stiles was loyal to the pack, she thought he was the most loyal member out of all of them. And with the circumstances of his father's investigation, she could understand his reluctance to make things worse for his dad.

"Got it. Thanks. Seriously, dude." Scott said.

"Thank you Stiles. We wouldn't been able to pull this off without you." Esmeray sincerely said. Stiles shot her a grin and she grinned back.

"Again, thank you so much." Kira said. "You're risking a lot for me."

"We can't have anyone finding out about those pictures." Stiles said. "And I'm happy to help."

Esmeray cut in. "Alright, let's do this. The faster we start, the faster we get out of here."

She shoved Kira through the door as she scrambled out of the building. "Go, go, go!" she whisper-shouted.

"That was cool!" Kira said and Esmeray gave her friend a look. "I mean, very terrifying."

She let out a soft laugh before remembering that Danny's halloween party was happening tonight. "You guys want to go to Danny's halloween party?" she asked her new friend.

The party was being held in Derek's loft. As she looked around the raging blacklight party, she was both impressed and horrified.

Impressed, because Danny had somehow pulled this off, and horrified, because she knew Derek was going to kill someone when he got back.

"Wow." Kira whispered by her side. Esmeray nodded and spotted Boyd. She smiled and gently pushed Kira in her pack-mate's direction. "Go dance with Boyd, he'll like that." she said. Kira gave her a wide eyed look. "Are you sure?"

"He's smitten with you. Trust me, he'll enjoy your company." she promised.

The Kistune nodded and walked over to boy. As Esmeray gazed around, she saw Allison and Isaac dancing with each other, body paint adorning both of them. About time. she thought.

"Playing match maker?" a voice asked form behind her and she spun around to see Scott, looking amused. "What, they make a cute couple." she said defensively. Scott smiled. "I know, I just thought that was Lydia's thing."

"Lydia," Esmeray drawled, pointing to where her best friend had accepted a dance with a lacrosse player "Is very busy at the moment."

She saw the table of body paint and grinned. "You don't mind?" she asked with a grin.

Scott nodded, his inner wolf urging him to follow Esmeray to the end of the earth. He followed her to the paint station. "Face only." he said and she nodded, grabbing several paints. She turned to him, smile still present on her— pretty, no, beautiful— face.

Esmeray looked to be something from right out of a dream, with her blue eyes glowing under the light and the changing shadows accenting her elegant facial features. Her black hair emphasized on her fair, porcelain-like skin and for a moment, Scott wanted to know what his tanned skin looked like against her fairer complexion.

The thought made him feel both warm and cold at the same time and he pushed it aside.

"Close your eyes." Esmeray instructed and he did with a mock bow before standing up straight again. He kept still as the paint brush glided over his face, the evolved werewolf's lavender, cinnamon bark, and evening mist scent engulfing his senses. It left him drowning in her scent but at the same time, some primal part of him didn't want to pull himself out. Wanted to drown in her scent forever.

And that shook him a bit.

Esmeray's my beta. Scott reminded himself, even as he subconsciously stepped closer to his Beta, wanting to get closer for some reason, his bond to her tugging. His instincts screaming at him to get closer to her. She's one of my best friends.

I'm in love with her. a small part of his mind, the one more in tune with his inner wolf, whispered.

His inner wolf howled in agreement with that line of thought and he felt his self control slip up a bit.

Mine. he could have sworn his inner wolf snarl, almost vibrating underneath his skin as he inched closer to Esmeray.

His wolf instincts screamed at him and he wanted to grab Esmeray and hold her close, never let Hunters hurt her again, never let fire burn her again, keep her safe and never let her go and keep her for himself forever—

"Okay, we're done." Esmeray announced and he opened his eyes. She held out her phone and he saw what she had painted with her clever, nimble fingers.

A crescent moon enveloped the left side of his face, with a series of smaller stars, planets, and constellations surrounding it. "Impressive." he said with a grin.

She grinned, a faint blush on her face. How pretty. he thought but he forced that idea aside.

"Thank you." she said, smile still in place. Scott blinked when he thought he saw something made of shadows watching him and her, but then it was gone.

When he looked back for Esmeray, ready to ask if she had seen it as well, she was gone.

The crisp chill hit Esmeray's face as she entered the rooftop. She gazed out over the town of Beacon Hills and leaned against the wall.

"Stupid." she whispered, sliding down to sit down, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes.

She was in love with Scott, kind, compassionate, strong Scott.

But Scott didn't feel the same. The mating bond made it worse, a smack in the face. She could feel the pull to him but he couldn't.

The evolved werewolf took a few moments to compose herself before an angry howl hit her ears.

Derek. she knew instantly, getting to her feet. As she turned around, she saw a figure of shadow and smoke standing before her, wearing a silver mask.

Esmeray threw a punch but it went right through the figure. Her eyes burned gold as she let out a howl—

The figure held up a hand and absorbed it.

Esmeray went still, stunned. Oh moon goddess, what the hell are these things? she thought as she backed away. Only two more appeared and encircled her.

The first figure approached her and held up a hand. Night dark eyes glowed green and Esmeray felt her knees go out.

The last thing she thought was how cold everything was.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray's eyes snapped open and she gasped for a breath. She was shaking but she forced herself to her feet and stumbled into the loft. "Esme!" a relieved voice called out and she blinked, seeing Isaac rush over to her.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice raspy. She let Isaac support her down the stairs, and she leaned into her adoptive brother's body heat, trying to get warm. "Those shadow ninja's attacked." Kira informed her as the evolved werewolf sat down.

She smelled faintly burned flesh and she raised a shaking hand to feel a mark behind her ear. She traced it and frowned, trying to remember any supernatural species that left marks on people.

"That's good to know." she murmured.

"I can't get a hold of him." she heard Allison say and she turned to her half sister. "Dad knows about those things." the brunette informed her. "He thought they were after him."

"Well that's obviously wrong." Isaac muttered.

Esmeray nodded. "Alright, your dad knows about those things." she said before turning to Scott. "So, who was attack by the shadow ninja's?"

"Tonight or in total?" Scott asked her.

"In total." she said.

Boyd spoke up. "In total it's been you, Isaac, Lydia, and Derek."

She mulled over those words before seeing the pattern. "They came after three werewolves and a banshee." she pointed out. "All members of the supernatural community."

There was a beat before Allison groaned. "And here I though we could get a normal semester." the huntress lamented.

"This is Beacon Hills." Boyd deadpanned. "It's never normal here."

"I'll get the family grimoires." Derek sighed.

"I'll call Deaton." Scott promised.

"And I'll get a hold of Dad." the ravenette promised. She turned to Allison. "But first things first, let's go talk to your dad."

Esmeray didn't know to be surprised or not to be surprised find that her dad was with Chris at the Argent apartment.

"They're called Oni, they're Japanese demons." her father confirmed, gesturing to the mark behind his ear, since he had been marked to, from his spot next to Chris. He and Allison had tended to Chris's wounds after they had found the Hunter bleeding and her father out cold.

Scott had called Deaton after her father had woken up, and to everyone's relief, the veterinarian was okay.

"What do they do?" Derek asked.

"It depends." her father said. "You see, Oni came only be summoned by a Kitsune, and once they're here on Earth, they do whatever their summoner wants them to do— aid them in battle, exorcise a demon, kill somebody." he frowned. "I learned of a third reason but Talia took it away from me."

"Oh come on." Isaac complained. Esmeray nodded in agreement.

"Wait, who can summon an Oni?" Kira asked. "You." Peter said. "Only a Kitsune can summon Oni."

"But I didn't!" Kira protested.

"I know— you've just learned you're a Kitsune, and you don't have any tails. Kitsune must temporarily sacrifice their tails to bring Kitsune here, the first of which they get when they hit one hundred and gain the ability to shapeshift into a human form. But since you were born human, one of your parent's is a human... and the other is a Kitsune. And either you're mother or your father is bringing those Oni here." her father explained.

There was a heavy silence.

"I encountered them in 1988." Chris spoke up. "There was one other survivor. I'll track him down, see if he has any information."

"What do we do in the meantime?" Boyd asked. "What if they come back?"

"They will." her dad said forebodingly. "But if they do... just let them check you. They haven't hurt anyone yet, so they must be checking for something."

"'Exorcise a demon'," Esmeray quoted her father. "They could be checking if we're hosting a demon or something."

"So we're dealing with a demon," Isaac said sarcastically. "Lovely."

"You said that with so much sarcasm Satan cringed." the blue eyed evolved werewolf teased.

"Exactly." Isaac said straight faced.

The next day at school, Stiles approached her. "Can you take me to the hospital?" he asked. "I... I want to check with Melissa."

Esmeray took in her friend's pale appearance and inhaled the air sharply. "I don't smell any sickness on you." she told him.

"I just want to check. Please, Esme. I... I think it's something bad that most supernatural can't detect." Stiles said.

She knew he was lying, but she decided to not push it. "Okay, let's go."

The human followed her to her car and she drove them to the hospital. Once there, Melissa stopped at the sight of them.

"It was Stiles's idea." Esmeray said bluntly and Stiles gave her a look of faux betrayal. "Okay then." Melissa said. "Stiles, you come with me. Esmeray, feel free to wait here."

The evolved werewolf nodded and sat down at a chair and pulled her phone out, texting the group chat.

Dark Moon: I took Stiles to the hospital, I'm waiting here with him. How's everyone going?

She got a text from Lydia.

Best Banshee: Well, Aiden and Ethan are stalking Scott.
Quiet Wolf: Has anyone told them about the Oni yet?
Wonder Wolf: I've tried. They don't believe me. Is Stiles okay?

She sighed.

Dark Moon: 1: Then they're idiots. 2: Your mom is looking over him right now.
Dark Moon: Anyone know where Isaac is? He's not picking up my any of my calls or answering my texts.

Scott replied.

Wonder Wolf: Isaac's with Allison. They're helping Chris track down the other survivor.
Dark Moon: Okay. Tell me if something happens.

She looked up as Melissa approached her. "Stiles is asleep. Do you want to wait with him?"

"I would like that." Esmeray said, following her instincts to protect her pack mate and friend.

Melissa took her to Stiles's room and Esmeray waited next to the sleeping human, checking her phone for text messages and making a brief coffee run to Starbucks.

Once it got dark out, did Stiles's stir. "Esme?" he asked.

"Hey Sti." she said, her own nickname slipping out. "You've been out for nearly the entire day."

"Oh god." Stiles grumbled. "Help me up, Esme?" he asked.

She did as he asked, helping her pack mate to his feet.

"Thanks." he said, giving her a smile. "Oh shit, I gotta—" he suddenly ran out of the room, leaving her thoroughly confused.

As she walked out after, Esmeray paused for a moment, smelling something off with the lingering smell of Stiles's usual coffee, vanilla, and paper scent.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray drove herself and Stiles back to the McCall house, where the pack had assembled, minus Isaac and Allison, who were still out with Chris and her dad, who had apparently joined them.

As they drove, she got a call from her dad about why the Oni were in Beach Hills.

After the call ended, she resisted the urge to slam her head on the wheel.

"So they're hunting down a Nogitsune, an evil spirit that's currently possessing some poor soul. Lovely." she said, her last word coated with sarcasm. "Don't forget this thing is almost certainly psychopathic and murderous." Stiles added.

"Which means we need to stop it before it kills everyone in this town." she sighed. The McCall house came into sight. "Here we are." she said and she parked the car. The smell of blood hit her nose damn near instantly.

Stiles opened the mountain ash barrier for her and she smiled at him. "Oh thank goodness, you're here." Lydia said, rushing over to them and hugging her and Stiles. Esmeray sent Stiles a smirk when she heard his heart beat pick up at the hug, and he glared at her.

"What's the damage?" she asked.

"Scott's dad almost got fatally stabbed, but he got knocked out." Boyd said form the kitchen. "It's only a matter of time before he wakes up and we have to tell him." Lydia informed her and Stiles.

"I'll go to Scott." Esmeray said. She followed the smell of Scott's scent to his bedroom. He was siting in the chair, his face in his hands. The moment she entered the room, he looked up.

"Hey." she greeted awkwardly. He gave her a tired smile and she walked over to him, eying his father, who had bandages wrapped around his stomach. "How's he doing?" she asked.

Scott sighed. "Mom says that the sword missed everything important, but he did loose a lot of blood. Oh, and he hit his head but there's no concussion. Mom says he's going to have a bad headache when he wakes up."

"That's good for getting stabbed by an Oni." Esmeray commented. Scott gave her a rueful smile. "Yeah, it is."

She studied him. "What's going on in your mind, Scott?"

Scott looked uncertain but the raven haired teenager gave him an imploring look. "I'm not sure. The Oni, we can't defeat them. I know they're here to kill the Nogitsune, but that means the host, and the host hasn't don't anything wrong..." he sighed again. "I wish there was a way to save the host."

Esmeray squeezed his hand. "Pragmatically, I vote we just let the Oni do their thing and leave. But this is our town, so it means we'll get involved, and dear lord, we already are involved in this. But I know one thing."

"What?" Scott asked, his brown eyes meeting her blue eyes. Her inner wolf whined but she ignored it.

(Her heart did ache when her side of the mating bond flared up, but Scott's end of it did not)

"You'll be the one who leads us through this." Esmeray said simply.

"You think so?" he asked her, doubt in his words but there was a spark of hope and confidence in his eyes.

She nodded. "I know you will." she said.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Eventually, Rafael McCall woke up. He was brought to the kitchen table while Esmeray stood next to Scott, watching it all unfold. A majority of the pack had already left but Esmeray had stayed behind.

"I could have sworn I saw ninjas with swords attack this house, oh and they teleported. And I almost got stabbed but then I was knocked out, so I'll just dismiss this as a hallucination." the FBI agent said.

Scott shifted uncomfortably and she sent a pulse of comfort down their bond. Scott gave her a small smile and an army of butterflies erupted in her stomach.

"No, Rafael, that all happened." Melissa said softly.

"Oh, shadow ninja's exist?" Rafael said.

"The correct term is Oni, Japanese demons." Esmeray corrected the older man.

"Japanese demons." Rafael answered. "Next you'll be telling me that werewolves exist."

There was a beat of silence.

"Scott, show him." Melissa urged. Scott glanced at her and she nodded.

Scott turned to his father and his brown eyes became the signature burning red color.

Rafael jerked away and Esmeray felt a flare of pain-sadness from Scott down their pack/mating bond.

"You're... you're a..." Rafael stammered.

"Werewolf. He was bitten." the dark-haired teenager said. She let her blue eyes turn into gold as she flicked out her claws. "I was born, like the majority of my family."

"The Hales were werewolves." the FBI agent said wide eyed.

"Are. They aren't all dead." Melissa said.

"How?" Rafael asked Scott.

"I was bitten in January." Scott swiftly explained. "Esmeray helped learn how to control it, and I became a True Alpha a few weeks ago after some very crazy events."

Rafael was quiet for a few long moments before sighing. "Beacon Hills, more like Beacon for the supernatural to me. It actually explains a lot."

"It does." Melissa agreed.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray's eyes snapped open when her phone suddenly rang. She groaned and rolled over, picking it up. She frowned when she saw STILES flash across the caller id. She sat up straight and answered.

"Stiles?" she asked.

"Esmeray?" Stiles terrified voice asked. A red flag went off in her mind— Stiles mostly called her Esme. And right now, he had just used her actual name instead of the nickname.

"Stiles what's wrong?" she asked.

"I... I think I was sleep walking and I don't know where I am. Some kind of basement or something.... sweet Jesus it smells in here." the human answered. "I called Scott but my gut told me to call you to. I can't get out, my leg's injured and my foot's in some kind of animal trap."

She threw off the sheets of her bed and got up. "I'm coming Stiles. Scott and I will get the pack together, we'll tell your dad and find you."

"Thanks Esme. You're a great friend." Stiles murmured before the line went dead.

"Shit!" Esmeray swore and she threw on a pair of jeans, a long sleeved shirt, her warmest jacket, and some boots. "Isaac!" she yelled, bursting into her curly haired brother's room.

"What?" Isaac drawled.

"Stiles sleep walked out of his house and he's currently missing. We need to find him. Get dressed, I'll call Boyd and Lydia." she instructed before leaving the room to give him some privacy.

She called Boyd and once she informed him of the situation, her packmate was more than willingly to help search for Stiles. Lydia, on the other hand, didn't pick up any of her calls.

"Come on lets go!" she yelled and Isaac stumbled out of his room. Her father appeared in the bedroom of his room.

"Where are you two going?" he asked. "Stiles is missing." she answered before Chris Argent's scent hit her nose.

She threw her father a Why is he here? You know what, I won't ask look before leaving the apartment, Isaac on her heels.

After she picked up Boyd, the Hale girl pulled up at the Stilinski house and stormed into the house. She headed straight for Stiles's room and paused when she saw Scott, Aiden, and Lydia in the room as well.

"Did Stiles call you?" Scott asked.

"He called Esmeray, I did the smart thing and joined." Isaac answered for her. "I joined too. Stiles is pack." Boyd added.

"Banshee powers?" Esmeray asked Lydia.

"Banshee powers." Lydia confirmed and the evolved werewolf noticed the strings stabbed into the bed with a pair of scissors.

"He uses red for unsolved cases." the banshee said. "So he think's he's part of an unsolved case?" Boyd asked, confused.

"Or is an unsolved case?" Isaac pointed out.

That earned a beat of silence.

"Alright, we have to move. It's the coldest night of the year and he could freeze to death if we don't find him quickly." the evolved werewolf cut in. She inhaled softly to try and get a clue on Stiles's scent, but the room was covered in axe body spray.

"He mentioned that there was something in the basement with him. Like, an industrial sized basement." Scott said.

Esmeray noticed Lydia's eyes begin to glaze over and she gently guided Lydia to one of the strings. Lydia plucked the string and gazed at the picture of a building.

"He's there!" Lydia cried and rushed out. The others followed but Esmeray paused, remembering what Stiles had said over the phone call.

"Sweet Jesus it smells in here."

"I can't get out, my leg's injured and my foot's in some kind of animal trap."

Why would there be animal traps in a basement?

"Esme?" Boyd asked her.

"Stiles said a few things when he called me. I don't think he's in that building, or a basement." the blue eyed werewolf said. "I think he's in the nature preserve."

Boyd's eyes went wide. "If he's there, then we need to move, now."

Esmeray parked her car outside the nature preserve and shifted into her wolf form. She pressed her nose to the ground and caught Stiles's sent. There was something off about it, but it was still Stiles's scent.

She barked at Boyd, who nodded and flashed his werewolf gold eyes.

The Hale House survivor ran into the woods, following Stiles's scent. Boyd kept pace with her as she lead the way. She jumped over a log and continued sprinting.

A horrible scent hit her nose and she stopped, shuddering at the smell. Boyd did the same, visibly gagging.

She shifted into her human form. "He's this way." she said and forced herself to keep walking.

She approached the heart of the smell, a kind of animal den. She marched into the cave, her eyes glowing gold to see in the dark, and she easily spotted Stiles's shivering form. The evolved werewolf rushed to the human's side. The moment she touched him, he began screaming.

"Stiles's it's me!" she yelled, dodging a failing limb. "Boyd!" she called.

Boyd entered the cave and picked up Stiles, carrying him out. Once they where outside he set down the human.

Esmeray darted forward, grabbing Stiles's hands as his brown eyes made contact with her blue eyes.

"Esme?" he croaked. "No, no this is still a dream!"

Her heart broke for Stiles.

"It's me, Stiles. It's me and Boyd." she said. She remembered what Stiles had said to her the day she had been poisoned by Jennifer.

"Pack mate's help each other. We stick together." she said and a surge of emotions hit her nose, her enhanced senses picking up on the chemo-signals.

Relief

Trust

Happieness

Gratefulness

She pulled him into a hug and he gripped her tightly. She could hear Boyd calling 911 but Esmeray mentally frowned at Stiles's scent. Just like earlier, there was something off about the human's scent, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

The Oni are looking for someone possessed by a demon, a Nogitsune. They went after the supernatural, because that make's sense, a Nogitsune would search for a strong host. she thought, looking at Stiles, who had passed out.

Dread filled her being as a dark thought emerged.

But what if it's Stiles?

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray heard the footsteps before she saw the group— Lydia, Scott, Sheriff Stilinski, and the twins.

The Sheriff strode over to her and shook her hand. "Thank you," he said to her and Boyd, "Both of you, for saving my son."

She just nodded and pointed down the hall. "Stiles's is in room 416." and the Sheriff all but sprinted down the hall.

"How did you two find him?" Ethan asked.

"It was Esmeray." Boyd said and she frowned. "No, you helped me too." she corrected before turning to the group to explain, keeping her voice low. "When Stiles called me, he mentioned his foot was in an animal trap and the basement he was apparently smelled. It didn't add up and I guessed he was in the preserve. Boyd accompanied me and we found him in Malia's coyote den."

"Stiles was still pretty freaked out when we got to him." Boyd added. Scott made a pained noise and Esmeray shot him a sympathetic smile. "He was still convinced he was dreaming, but Esme said something that calmed him down." Boyd finished.

"It was something I said to Stiles the day Jennifer poisoned me. It was just the two of us when he said it, in his jeep." the black haired teenager explained to the rest of the group. "It did the trick." she paused, not sure how to voice her theory.

"Esme?" Lydia asked her. "Nothing." the Hale House fire survivor lied, keeping her heartbeat steady.

Scott shot her a look and she sent the equivalent of I'll tell you later down their bond.

"We should go back home. He's safe here in the hospital." Isaac said. Esmeray felt sleep catching up on her and she nodded. "Ethan, Aiden, thank you for helping." she said and the twins nodded. Boyd and Isaac gave Scot encouraging looks and the True Alpha nodded. "Welcome to the pack." Scott said and the pack bonds snapped into place. The twins beamed, genuine warmth and delight flooded down the pack bonds.

The next day at school, Stiles's sleepwalking was all anyone would talk about.

As Esmeray sat down at her usual lunch table, Scott sat across from her. "So, what did you want to tell me?" the brown eyed Alpha asked her.

A little bit of her heart broke. Of course you can pick up that but not that we're mates. she thought.

"Nothing." she lied. "It's just a feeling."

Scott raised an eyebrow. "What feeling?"

"I think the Nogitsune is possessing a human. It's a clever trickster. It would want us to think that it's possessing a supernatural, for a powerful host, but I think it's possessing a human." she explained, taking a breath before adding "I think it's possessing Stiles."

"You're wrong." Scott said. "I would know."

"Would you?" she shot back. "This thing is old, Scott. It's old and it's clever and it's had who knows how long to plan."

Scott shook his head. "I'll see you at the hospital." he said and left the table.

Esmeray sighed and rubbed her temples, putting her food away.

"You're too stubborn for your own good Scott." she said aloud.

Later that night, she pulled into the hospital parking lot and parked her car. She saw Lydia in her car, pressing her hands to her ears and she strode over, tapping on the glass.

"Lydia." she said softly. "Lydia focus on my voice, my heartbeat. Just breath, Lydia."

She sensed the strawberry blonde doing what she said and Lydia opened her eyes, looking exhausted. The window of Lydia's car rolled down. "Thank you." her best friend said.

"Anytime." she said. "You want to talk about it?"

"Not yet." Lydia answered.

"Alright," Esmeray said. "I'm going to go visit Stiles. I'll see you later."

Lydia nodded and rolled up the window, closing her eyes. Esmeray quietly walked away, frowning at the massive puddle that had formed. She carefully skirted around it.

"Oh my god!" she heard Kira shout and she looked at Kira.

Then the evolved werewolf saw the massive power line hit the puddle that she had one foot in.

All Esmeray could feel was pain as her muscles locked up, as she screamed in agony before blacking out.

Chapter Text

Scott McCall

The day after... after what had happened at the hospital, Scott quietly slipped through the halls of the hospital, approaching Esmeray's room. Allison walked next to him, and Scott kept quiet even against Allison's nervous ramblings.

To be honest, seeing Esmeray fall, still and unmoving and so lifeless had freaked him out more than when Peter had been threatening to kill Allison and hurt more when Allison had sided with Kate and then Gerard.

Scott knew he was in love with Esmeray, loved her more than what he had felt for Allison in their brief time together. Allison had been a sudden bolt of lightning, a deep infatuation that slipped away as soon as it had started.

Esmeray had slipped into his life with steady reassurance and a helping hand, his feelings for her changing from respect to friendship to love as they worked against various threats together. She was always at his side, ready to help out and guide and to get closer too. Always there, just a step away. Now he couldn't imagine his life without her, she was just as a constant as Stiles was. Always there, never faltering, never leaving.

It was getting harder to stay in the self imposed ring of mountain ash he had locked his heart in, too not to think about his feelings for Esmeray. It had been getting harder to deny his feelings for her since the hospital after the Darach had poisoned her, seeing her pale and sick and dying.

And now? Scott couldn't ignore them as easily ever since Danny's party, when he finally acknowledged how deeply he had fallen for her, how much his heart and inner wolf were desperately craving her.

The more time he spent with her, at school or hanging out with the pack or after school, always right there, the more Scott wanted to be with her, not just as friends and pack mates, but as partners, as lovers.

What made him nervous was that Scott didn't know if Esmeray ever returned his feelings, loved him the way he loved her. The ravenette was private like the rest of her family.

"Do you think she's wake up today?" Allison asked him suddenly.

He turned to the brunette. "No." he answered. "I would have felt it through the pack bond, and so would have Boyd, Derek, and Peter."

Especially Peter. The ex Alpha would have detected his daughter's awakening the moment she woke up. That was how deep their bond went.

"Oh. I just thought that since she's an evolved werewolf she would have healed faster." Allison said.

Scott hummed. "Sort of. She'll probably wake up before Isaac, so you do have a point."

With that, he strode forward and opened the door to Esmeray's room.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The ECG recorded her heart beat, but since Scott had super senses, he could hear the beat of her heart himself. It was the first thing he heard as he stepped into the room, over the sound of the machines. Peter's coffee and forest mist scent hit his nose, still very fresh. Scott' gaze settled on Esmeray for the first time since she had been rushed into the ER and hit inner wolf howled in sorrow.

Like Isaac, she was hooked up to an IV and an oxygen tube, the right side of her face covered with electrical burns. Less severe than Isaac's, since Kira had been able to pull her out quickly, but she had still been injured. Her long black hair had been pulled to the side and her blue eyes, usually filled with emotion, where locked away in sleep. Her usual lavender, night mist, and cinnamon bark scent was weaker than usual, and stained with the smell of electricity.

His eyes flickered to there very visible burn scar on the right side of her neck. The scar was small, on the lower part of the neck but still visible. A permanent reminder of the fire she had survived, of the family she had lost, of the pack that had been ripped away from her.

He quietly walked over to her and took her hand. She shifted but didn't wake up and Scott began taking her pain. There was so much running through her like Isaac that he gritted his teeth and steeled himself, but he kept taking what he could.

Something tugged at his pack bond with Esmeray, as though it was changing. He briefly feared she was dying, that their bond was slipping away, but it didn't happen. It just felt as if their bond was lighter than before.

"You care for her." Allison's voice brought him back to the present.

His brown eyes meet Allison's equally dark irises.

"I do." he admitted, and it was though a significant portion of weight was leaving his shoulders. To finally admit he was in love with the beautiful raven haired werewolf, the Pack Heart of his pack. And more. his inner wolf seemed to say but the brunet didn't know what that meant.

Allison nodded. "You're good for each other."

His gaze turned back to Esmeray's still, unconscious form.

"I hope so." Scott responded.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Consciousness came back to Esmeray slowly and painfully. She took a deep breath and let her senses do their work, picking up the oxygen tube in her nose and the other machines she was hooked up too.

She cracked one eye open and groaned at the harsh lights of the hospital.

"Oh my god!" she heard a familiar voice yell and she growled, turning her head to see Melissa McCall. "Can you keep it down?" she rasped, blinking at the older women blearily.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that." Melissa said. "I'll call your dad... or both of your dads?"

"Dad preferably." Esmeray murmured, gingerly sitting up but wincing as the motion caused a spasm of pain through her body.

"Hey, hey hey, be careful." the nurse said, approaching her. "You've been out cold for two days and you just started healing."

"I can tell." the evolved werewolf deadpanned. Melissa snorted. "Ah, sarcasm. The number one way to tell if teenagers are perfectly okay from surviving life threatening injuries."

She ducked her head, smiling sheepishly as Melissa left the room. She laid back down against the pillows and sent out a little flare of warmth-I'm awake down her pack bonds.

A familiar scent of cedar and lemon suddenly hit her nose and her eyes widened. Scott was here? she thought, picking through the chemosignals intertwined with the scent.

Worry—determination—faith and something other she couldn't identify. The mating bond tugged on her soul and she closed her eyes, a single tear slipping through.

"Dad!" she greeted with a smile as her father burst into the room, though her eyes narrowed as Chris entered.

"He's a friend, Esmeray." her father drawled. "Be nice. How are you feeling?"

"Good. The scars are healing." she said, gesturing to the fading electrical burn scars.

"You've healed faster than Isaac." Chris commented and Esmeray froze. "Isaac was injured?" she asked, her blue eyes focusing on the Argent hunter.

"Your brother's alive." her father assured her. "He hasn't woken up yet, but he should in the next few days."

She nodded. "That puddle... it was bigger than what Hunters usually do."

She hadn't meant to say that but she say Chris's flinch. Her father sent her a warning look and she winced.

"I'm sorry, that wasn't directed at you Chris." she said. "It's just..."

"No, no, I get it. I haven't done anything but Kate and Gerard and other Hunters..." he trailed off. "I better get back to looking for Stiles. Call me if you find him will you, Peter?"

"I will." Peter said and the other man left the room.

"Are you two getting back together?" Esmeray asked softly and her father hesitated.

"I don't know." he admitted.

After visiting Isaac, she returned with her father to their apartment.

Peter ordered four fried chicken sandwiches, a heaping of French fries, and two malts from the local malt shop and Esmeray tore into them. Three of the sandwiches where for Esmeray alone.

In her defense, she hadn't eaten anything in two days and she was starving.

"Thank you." she said, wiping her mouth with a paper napkin. "When Isaac wakes up, we should get some Mexican food. That's his favorite."

Her father hummed. "That would be best."

The blue eyed teenager paused when she heard two very familiar voices from outside the apartment.

"While it's smart to bring me with you, I still think the rest of this is totally insane." Allison's voice said. "The last time I used my powers, I lead everyone on a wild goose chase." Lydia snapped.

You did your best, Lydia. Esmeray thought, focusing her hearing on the two girls. "Ahem." Allison coughed.

"Look, I just need to figure this out, and he's the only one offering help, since the Hale's have those grimoires on Banshee powers! My powers!" the strawberry blonde pointed out. Esmeray began approaching the door, still listening to her half sister and best friend.

"Peter doesn't offer help, he offers a chance for you to be manipulated into giving him what he wants!" Allison protested from the other side of the door.

The evolved werewolf opened the door, raising a single eyebrow at the brunette. Allison paled and then blushed, embarrassment-mortification reeking off of her.

"Last time I checked, Kate did the same thing." she said nonchalantly.

"Esme!" Lydia squealed and hugged her. Esmeray smiled and hugged Lydia back. "You're awake!"

"I woke up a few hours ago." she said, letting go of the strawberry blonde to give Allison a nod.

"The hunter and the banshee." her father drawled, leaning on the counter. "Ladies, come on in."

"Don't be dramatic, Dad." Esmeray said, stepping aside to let the other girls in.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"She goes." her father said, jerking his chin at Allison.

"The last time I was alone with you... I almost bled out on a lacrosse field. She stays. Esmeray too." Lydia said. Esmeray winced at the memory of what happened that night and even her father looked a bit guilty.

"Do you actually think I was trying to kill you?" her father said, an exasperated look on his face. "You were my back-up plan, remember? Not to mention, the Bite is what brought out your nascent abilities. You think power like that was going to come out on its own?"

"I didn't ask for it." Lydia said. "I'm glad I have them now, because they're useful but back then? I didn't ask for them."

"Let's not forget the fact you brainwashed her into bringing you back for the dead!" Allison added.

"Uh, no. That was me." Esmeray corrected.

Allison gave her a disbelieving look. She had obviously not seen that coming

The ravenette rolled her eyes. "You would have done the same thing."

The huntress winced but nodded.

Suddenly a surge came down her bond with Scott. Sheriff's station NOW.

The forced of the telepathic message had Esmeray jerking forwards slightly. She quickly corrected herself, grabbing her father's hand to steady herself

She looked up to meet everyone's stares. "It's Scott."

"Go." Peter said and Lydia nodded. Esmeray nodded, grabbing her jacket and hugging Lydia on her way out. She ran down the stairs at full speed and jumped into her car, speeding off.

As she turned to corner to the Sheriff's station, it suddenly exploded. The evolved werewolf inhaled sharply and swerved, parking in an open spot and rushing into the building.

Derek and Chris's scent hit her nose. "Derek! Chris!" she shouted, sprinting over. They both looked daze, and while Chris was fine bits of glass and wood were embedded in Derek's shoulders.

"You're awake." Derek said, looking relieved.

"I told you." Chris grumbled.

"You okay?" she asked them both and they nodded.

She sat Derek down and began plucking out the glass and wood, absorbing his pain as she went. She vaguely sensed Scott and Stiles coming in, along with others but her main focus was Derek. She also detected Chris casually blocking her from view of the others with his body.

She finished easily. "Thank you." Derek said and she nodded at him before nodding at Chris and moving to where Stiles and Scott were.

Esmeray heard the officer that Scott was taking the pain from heart go still and Scott reeled back, looking shaken. She crouched down next to him and offered him a sad smile.

"Oh thank fuck, you're awake." Stiles said. "Esme I'm—"

"You didn't do that, Stiles. It was the Nogitsune. You're my friend, you're part of this pack, you wouldn't have ever done that. Done this." she said firmly and quietly. Stiles's eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, she saw something shift in his eyes.

Sheriff Stilinski appeared. "You three need to go."

Esmeray helped Scott to his feet, who still looked shaken. She wordlessly let him lean on her, even though it was like a sweet kind of poison.

The mating bond flared up, but Scott side's of it didn't respond.

Boyd and Kira rushed over to them as the Hale girl, with Stiles and Scott with her, approached the door. "The Oni— they're coming!" Kira said.

"Can this day get any worse?" Esmeray said, sarcasm bleeding off her words.

"Esme, not now." Scott said, standing up straighter. "Let's go to the animal clinic, it should buy us time."

Esmeray followed Stiles's jeep through the pouring rain, Kira and Boyd packed in her car with her.

"The clinic's lined with mountain ash, right?" Boyd asked her, sitting in the passenger seat next to her.

"It is." she confirmed, eyes never leaving the road. She couldn't afford to crash in this weather.

"But they could get through." Kira pointed out softly.

"Well, we don't have any other ideas. Hopefully, Deaton will have some herbs we can use." the blue eyed teenager pointed out.

After breaking several driving laws, they made it. The evolved werewolf parked her car and jumped out, grabbing Stiles and all but dragging him to the doors when a familiar, mechanical snarl hit her ears.

She whipped around to see three Oni and she growled, shifting into her werewolf form.

"Stiles, get inside!" she heard Scott yell and she sensed him tossing the keys.

One Oni lunged for Stiles but she slammed her foot into it's chest, knocking it back. It swung its sword but she ducked underneath it and spin kicked it. Kira appeared and swiped at it with a sword.

Scott's pained cry hit her ears and she turned to see Scott, a sword through his middle. She rushed over to him, grabbing him before he could hit the ground and supporting him.

"Thanks." Scott raised and she nodded, stumbling to the doors of the animal clinic. "Get him inside!" Stiles cried, ushering them in. She got them inside and she shifted back to her human form, Boyd and Kira hurrying into the building after him.

Esmeray got Scott to one of the tables, which he leaned against.

Boyd's growl got her attention and she turned to see Boyd hit the ground with a loud thud. Stiles stood over his unconscious body, looking bored.

Oh shit. Esmeray thought.

Kira let out a yell and charged froward, but Stiles— no the Nogitsune, knocked her out with a single punch. Gone was Stiles's paper, coffee, and vanilla scent, the Nogitsune's scent had completely replaced it: blood, midnight mist, and salt.

"Young kitsune, so over confident." the Nogitsune drawled, stepping over Kira's unconscious form.

Esmeray growled, standing in front of Scott. "Back off." she hissed, her fangs and claws coming out as her eyes glowed gold.

"Make me." the Nogitsune taunted and suddenly lunged.

Esmeray side stepped his punch and grabbed his arm, judo flipping him.

He landed on his feet and spun around to face her, looking amused, but the dark haired teenager caught the spark of wariness before it vanished.

She punched him in the face and he staggered back. She swung again but he caught her fist and slammed her against the wall, one hand around her neck..

"You're strong for your age... but then again, evolved werewolves are stronger than most. Even the rarer evolved Beta's." the Nogitsune complimented.

"If this is flirting, you're not my type!" she snarked before stabbing her claws into his stomach. He gasped but pulled out her hand with ease, the skin healing over. She screamed when he yanked out one of her claws.

"Stop it! Stop hurting her!" Scott yellowed, eyes glowing red. But with the sword still in his stomach, she knew he couldn't do anything. And from the anger and frustration coming off Scott, he knew too.

"Ah, the ability smell chemosignals... a skill I've always wanted." the Nogitsune continued. "I'm surprised you two haven't even sensed it yet."

She froze, picking up on what the Nogitsune was implying. Scott just looked confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Oh... you haven't felt it yet?" the Nogitsune said, a looked of twisted amusement over taking it's face. He turned to her. "But you have."

"Sensed what?" Scott repeated.

"The mating bond." the Nogitsune said, tightening the chokehold.

She gasped for air and her eyes meet Scott's.

She inhaled sharply when his side of the mating bond suddenly became open... and when he sensed that her end had already been open.

The Nogitsune then stabbed her in the chest and she grunted, kicking him in the knee. He slammed her head against the wall and she blacked out.

A groan escaped her lips as she woke up. She tried to get up but someone stopped her.

"You shouldn't move too quickly." a familiar voice said and Esmeray opened her eyes to see Scott holding her.

She brought out her claws and she sighed in relief, seeing that the claw that had been torn out had grown back. "The Nogitsune—" she started to ask but a cough over took her.

Scott helped her sit up before handing her a glass of water. She took it and began drinking. "Thank you." she said to Scott who nodded, but Esmeray could see the slightly closed off look on his face.

She glanced around the room, seeing Deaton with Boyd and Kira, before her gaze settled on Stiles, on one of the tables with a circle of mountain ash around him.

"I poisoned the Nogitsune inside him." Deaton explained, turning to her. "It should buy us some time, thought we need to find a permanent solution to save Stiles. And we need to find it soon."

She nodded, getting to her feet. "How long did you know?" Scott asked and she turned to him.

Scott's normally open face was troubled, hesitant, and guarded.

She summoned her courage, facing him head on. "Since you became an Alpha." she said quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her and her heart broke a bit.

"I think we both know why." she said quietly, refusing to meet his gaze.

Scott just nodded again and walked past her, but there was a stoniness to his face that hurt her soul. Her inner wolf whined in sorrow.

After hearing him enter the next room, she slipped out of the clinic and went back to her car. Once Esmeray got in, she let out a hollow laugh at the sudden realization.

Despite both ends of their mating bond being open, the walls between them couldn't be higher.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray drove to the hospital, resolutely ignoring her instincts to go back to Scott, to explain.

As she drove she called Lydia, putting her best friend on speaker when the Banshee accepted the call. "What's wrong, Esme?" Lydia asked.

"Scott knows." she answered bluntly, stopping at a red light.

"How did it go?" Lydia inquired.

The blue eyed teenager let out a hollow laugh. "Not good, not good at all."

"Well, you should have told him earlier." Lydia pointed out. Esmeray sighed. "I know Lyds, but I didn't think it would work. Or that even has the same feelings for me the I do for him."

"Oh, Scott's in love with you." Lydia said.

"Me, or Allison's lookalike?" Esmeray countered, the wheel creaking under the strength of her grip.

Lydia went quiet. "That's a fair point." her best friend agreed. "But I know, or at least suspect, that Scott loves you, not Allison's look alike."

Esmeray stayed quiet for a bit. "Well, since I know believe that he and I are not on good speaking terms, we'll have to see. Good night, Lydia."

"Good night, Esmeray." her friend responded and the dark haired girl ended the call.

Her phone then buzzed and Esmeray saw the text, her heart both soaring and plummeting when she saw who it was.

Wonder Wolf: Stiles checked himself into Eichen House.
Wonder Wolf: We're planning to grab the Katashi evidence
Wonder Wolf: Do you want to join? If you do, meet as at the Argent Apartment.
Wonder Wolf: You don't have to if you don't want to

She knew what he was saying.

If you don't want to see me.

But she was Pack Heart of this pack, and more than ever, did the pack need to be united.

With shaky fingers Esmeray sent a reply.

Dark Moon: Sure.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray was the last one to arrive at the Argent apartment and Allison opened the door for her and took her to Chris's office, where the rest of the pack was waiting.

"Esme, please tell them that robbing an armored truck is a horrible plan." Boyd said.

The dark haired teenager stopped where she was standing, and turned to her half sister and best friend.

"They're moving all the Katashi evidence, so it's our only shot." Allison explained.

She sighed. "What's the plan for robbing an armored truck?"

Boyd let out a groan and Scott just looked exasperatedly amused. They made eye contact and the bond flared up between them.

Lydia explained the plan and Esmeray just massaged her temples. "It's not a bad plan—"

"Thank you!" the Banshee explained.

"Nor is it a good one." she finished.

"That's what I said." Ethan muttered.

The female werewolf continued. "In the case we have to deal with any witnesses, dad taught me the basics of the memory manipulating ritual. Boys, I don't like this any more than you do. But this scroll could be our one shot at saving Stiles, who is a member of our pack. And we don't leave pack members behind."

How did she know about the scroll? After agreeing to join in on the plan, Scott had explained the scroll to her via text.

And speaking of Scott, he nodded in agreement. "For Stiles." he agreed.

Boyd got up from his seat. "For Stiles." the African American werewolf added in agreement.

She drove back to her apartment to get what she needed. She opened the door and saw Kira with a determined expression on her face. Realizing what the other girl was going to say, Esmeray said "No."

"But I didn't even say anything!" Kira protested.

"You want to join in, don't you?" Esmeray said dryly.

"Y-yeah." the kitsune said. "Please, I can help. I want to help, I owe Stiles."

"We're robbing an armored truck. If you get caught..." the blue eyed girl trailed off, hoping the implications would sink in.

"And if we don't, then we save Stiles." Kira said stubbornly.

The Hale girl sighed. "Fine."

She parked her car a few blocks from the Sheriff's station and motioned for Kira to follow her. Esmeray followed the scents of her pack mates and found them in a spot where there was a clear view of the truck.

Her half sister took something out of her pocket. "Okay, Esmeray take this. You're the fastest one here." Allison said and Esmeray took the offered GPS.

She nodded in greeting to Scott and he nodded back, but they ignored each other. The bond tugged at them both, urging them together, but they both ignored it.

She flared her senses, taking in a breath. "No one's here." she whispered softly.

"Okay, then go." Scott said and Allison nodded in agreement. Esmeray dashed to the truck, smoothly sliding beneath it.

Then a pair of footsteps reacher her ears and a fresh scent hit her nose. She cursed and grabbed the bottom of the truck, hauling herself up. The door opened and a pair of boots appeared before her. She inhaled sharply, sorting through the oil and smells of the truck to focus on the deputy's scent.

The scent was... odd. It was like there was two layers of it. At the top, it was normal— orange, ginger, and clove, but the second layer, subtle and dormant but there, smelled of fire, shadows, embers, and death.

"Okay, let's get out of here." the deputy said before gasping and drawing his gun. The doors of the truck swung open and after listening to the struggle, the deputy fell to the ground. She could still hear his heartbeat, which made her sigh in relief.

Esmeray let go of the truck, rolling out to one side and carefully standing up, taking in the new werewolf before her.

Scott ran out from his hiding place, Kira, Boyd, and Allison following. Allison aimed her crossbow.

"We need that finger." Scott said.

"Why should I give it to you?" the unknown werewolf drawled.

"There's a briefcase in there with one hundred and fifty thousand in it." Allison said.

"The scroll inside this prosthetic finger is worth three million." the other werewolf countered.

Esmeray spotted a metal crowbar and silently walked over to it as Scott and the other werewolf began bantering. She sensed Kira attack and sighed mentally.

She grabbed the crowbar as Scott, Boyd, and the other werewolf fought. The other werewolf threw Boyd into a wall and knocked Scott down. "You have the eyes of an Alpha, but where's the strength?" the unknown werewolf taunted.

"Right here." Esmeray growled and the other werewolf spun on her. She let her eyes glow gold and she hit him in the temples with the crowbar. He crumpled to the ground, out cold.

She helped up Scott and dropped the crowbar, letting him search for the finger as she took Kira's pain.

"Thanks." Kira gasped and Boyd approached the two of them. "Take care of your girlfriend, Boyd." she teased softly and both blushed.

She smiled kindly at the two of them and helped Kira to her feet.

"You got the scroll?" she asked Scott who nodded.

The twins jumped down from the building. "We took out the security cameras." Aiden reported. "Ethan scrambled the security footage."

"Thanks." Boyd said, giving them a smile.

Esmeray's inner wolf let out a happy noise, at seeing her pack interact.

Now they just needed to help Stiles.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray accompanied her father to get Derek and Chris as they where finally released. Getting them was easy— getting Chris's things was the hard part.

A new, redheaded deputy that Esmeray didn't recognize held up Chris's cattle prod and shook his head. "Sorry, but I can't let you walk out with this. It's way above the legal voltage limit." he said.

"I only use it for hunting..." Chris protested.

Esmeray snorted and gave Chris an incredulous look. He just looked slightly sheepish.

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure you could use it to jump-start a 747..." the deputy informed them. "This property belongs to me, and the charges were dropped." Chris countered. "Although, I'm not exactly sure who's responsible for that."

She sensed the Sheriff approach them. "I am." he said. "I'll take care of this, Parrish."

The deputy, Parrish turned to the Sheriff. "Stilinski, I'm not kidding— this thing's a few watts from being a lightsaber."

"I said I'll take care of it." Stilinski said. "You four, come with me."

Esmeray paused as she eyed Parrish, the off, double layered, scent hitting her nose again before she followed the adults to the Sheriff's office.

The Sheriff closed the door of his office before turning to them. "The specialist I saw in LA told me the thing that every doctor says when he's trying to avoid a lawsuit— 'We can't say for sure.' And then, I spoke with Melissa"

The Sheriff held up to brain scans. Both were the exact same. "These are brain scans— my wife's, and Stiles'. I knew they were similar, but these are the same. Exactly the same."

"That shouldn't be possible." Esmeray said.

Stilinski nodded in agreement. "Not even remotely."

"So, the trickster is still playing tricks." Chris mused. "But why this trick?" Derek asked.

"Frontotemporal dementia... There's no cure." Peter said. "It's also the only dementia teens can get. By convincing Stiles that he has his mother's illness, the Nogitsune is trying to get Stiles to give up hope. It's trying to use it as a psychological trick so—"

The pieces fell into place in her mind. "Stiles will give up and stop fighting. That way the Nogitsune will have full control of his body." she finished.

"You know, he's left people severely injured." Chris drawled.

Isaac. she thought, even though her fathers, cousin, and the Sheriff all looked at her.

"And others severely dead." Derek added. She glared at him. "That was the Nogitsune, not Stiles. Stiles would never do that."

"Agreed. Stiles is very smart and cunning, but he has morals and lines. All that's happened— that was the Nogitsune." Peter agreed with her.

The Sheriff gave them relieved looks before a serious and determined expression overtook his face. "That's why I need the four of you. I need people who are experienced in this kind of thing. I need you to help me stop him."

"And by stop him, you mean trap him." Argent finished.

Argent called Allison, telling her the plan. They all reconvened at the Argent apartment.

Allison placed a load of weapons on the table. "This is everything non-lethal I could find."

"Take all of it." Argent said.

"What's the plan, here?" the Sheriff asked.

"Our best shot right now is for Derek, Esmeray, and Peter to try to pick up Stiles' scent at Eichen House— especially if he went through something stressful there." Argent said.

"No." Peter spoke. "We've done this before remember? Stiles goes missing, we go look for him and we walk right into his trap at the hospital."

The phantom surge of electricity raced up Esmeray's skin and she grimaced. "He's trying to make us repeat our moves. We can't do that. Dad, you and Chris go too Eichen. I'll go with Allison to check out the hospital. Derek, you go with the Sheriff to scope out the preserve, there's a lot of places he could hide there. We meet at the school in let's say, two hours?" she ordered.

There was a murmur of agreement and they all split up.

As she and Allison drove to the hospital, there was silence until the brunette spoke. "I'm surprised you came with me." the huntress said.

Esmeray glanced at her. "Well, there was three werewolves and three humans. I thought it was best if each human had a werewolf, for scents and stuff, and each werewolf had a human to break through any mountain ash barriers. I also know my way around the hospital."

Allison hummed. "I'm glad your my sister. I know we might never be proper sisters, but I'm glad I meet you."

Esmeray was stunned but she smiled faintly. "I don't have a good history with Hunters, but I'm glad I meet you. You've changed a lot since we first meet, and in a good way."

They scoped out the hospital before Esmeray got a text from her father.

Papa Wolf: Meet us at the Stilinski house.

She looked at Allison, who had read the text over her shoulder. "Let's go." the evolved werewolf said grimly.

Esmeray drove herself and her sister to the Stilinski house and headed to Stiles's bedroom, where the others had converged.

"What is all this? What are these sticky notes for?" Argent asked confused.

"This is what Stiles used to try and explain to me about... all of you." Stilinski explained.

"Well, maybe it's a message from Stiles— the real Stiles." Allison said optimistically but it sounded strain to Esmeray's ears. "Do you think there's any reason my name's on the king?" Derek asked, pointing to the king. "And why Esmeray is the Queen?"

"Well, you're heavily guarded... Though, I guess the alarming detail is that you're one move from being in checkmate." Stilniski drawled. "Esmeray, because she's a full shift werewolf, right?"

"Evolved werewolf." Esmeray corrected.

"And this isn't a message from Stiles, it's a threat from the Nogitsune. He's trying to tell us he's winning." her father cut in.

"And to meet us at the loft." Chris added grimly.

"Night's falling." Derek warned.

"This is a trap." Esmeray said, rubbing her forehead. "It has trap written all over for it. And it's for us."

"We need a plan." Allison said.

"I have one." the Sheriff said. "This thing is a trickster, it has no rules, nor reason, right? It just wants irony, it wants, drama, it wants a punchline!"

"So what's the new punchline?" Peter asked.

They all went to Derek's loft and got into place.

The Sheriff entered and Esmeray held her breath.

"Hi Dad." the Nogitsune said.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

The plan failed.

Esmeray let out a groan as she leaned against the wall. One of the Oni's swords had slashed her across the stomach. Her father took her pain and she gave him a relieved look. She sensed Scott, Kira, and Boyd and she turned to the door as it swung open, the trio taking in the scene.

"What happened?" Scott asked. She saw him take a step in her direction before Allison spoke.

"They disappeared. They literally just vanished." the brunette said.

"And so did Stiles." the Sheriff added.

"The Nogitsune, not Stiles." Esmeray corrected. "They share the same face but they're two very different people."

"She's right. The Nogitsune has a different scent than Stiles." Scott said.

Boyd sniffed the air. "Yeah. I can't believe we didn't pick it up earlier..."

"I did." Esmeray said. "But I didn't know what it meant."

"Let's meet up again tomorrow." her father said. He helped her to her feet but she grimaced, holding her stomach. The group drifted out of the loft minus her father and Derek. Esmeray stumbled and Kira was there, supporting her. She gave the other girl a thankful smile.

"Can I stay at your house tonight? I just found out a lot of stuff." Kira asked.

Esmeray raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Of course you can."

They made it to the parking lot and the ravenette leaned against her car, checking her slash. It wasn't healing.

She sensed Scott approach her. "It should be healing." the True Alpha said, a concerned look on his face.

"It will. We got some herbs at home to help this, and I'll put a bandage on it." she promised. "What happened with you, Boyd, and Kira?"

"We learned that my mom is a 900 year old Kitsune who summoned the Oni here in WW2, which possessed the dead body of her lover, and my mom fought it and buried it in the roots of some old tree until it got released." Kira said.

Esmeray gave them all a disbelieving look.

"It makes sense in context." Boyd promised.

The Hale girl just shook her head. "I bet it does. You two, just get some rest."

"Pack mom." Boyd muttered.

"Well someone has to look after you all." she shot back.

Scott laughed, and it made an army of butterflies erupt in her stomach.

She did as she promised Scott when she got home, putting on herbs and bandaging her wound.

"Did I ever tell you what happened when Lydia and Allison came to our apartment?" her father said aloud.

Esmeray gave him a confused look. "No." she answered.

"Well, it turns out you and Isaac have a sister." Peter said. "Not Allison, but one I sired."

Esmeray was shocked.

"Before or after Chris?" she asked.

"I think whoever she is, she was conceived maybe a few weeks before I meet Chris and I got pregnant with you." Peter said. He dragged a hand across his face. "Lydia didn't tell me, but I'm not going to stop looking. I still suspect it's Malia."

The evolved werewolf nodded in agreement. "I'll help. Malia looks a lot like you, so it could be her."

Peter smiled. "I know you will. But for now, get some sleep."

The next day, she got a call from Lydia.

"We have the Nogitsune." Lydia said. "But we need your dad's help."

She yelped when Peter took her phone and put Lydia on speaker. "Why should I help you, Lydia? Last time, Allison electrocuted me!"

"I know and I'm sorry. I really am. Allison just panicked. I'll tell you who your daughter is if you help us save Stiles." the Banshee said.

Esmeray locked eyes with her father. She nodded. 'For Stiles.' she mouthed.

Peter nodded. "I'll help."

"Okay, good. Meet us at the McCall house." Lydia said and hung up.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray knocked on the door and Lydia opened it. "Come in." Lydia said and she and her father entered the house.

She saw Scott's shocked look and quickly deduced Lydia had called her and her father behind Scott's back.

"So, what's the current plan?" she drawled, joining Scott and Deaton at the kitchen table.

"The bite of an Alpha can change the host, and expel the Nogitsune from Stiles's body." Deaton told her.

"Stiles's never wanted the bite." Scott insisted. "And what if it goes wrong?"

She glanced over at the Nogitsune/Stiles, who looked incredibly pale and sickly as her father looked a him. Paige had been healthy when bitten, but she had rejected the bite and died.

Stiles wouldn't survive it.

Her father seemed to be on her line of thought. "He doesn't look like he would survive a slap across the face, much less the bite of a Werewolf."

"You don't think it would work?" Scott asked.

"It won't. His body will most likely reject the bite and die." Esmeray cut in.

"What Esme said. And besides, this is more a war of the mind than the body." her father drawled. "There are better methods to winning this battle."

Esmeray realized what her father was implying.

"We need to get inside his head." she said quietly.

Deaton inhaled sharply. "That's incredibly dangerous."

"It's the only chance we got." Peter said.

"Then what's the plan?" Scott asked.

"Scott is going to try and dig through pale and sickly Evil-Stiles' mind to unearth pale and sickly Real-Stiles," her father explained. "Then, guide him back from the depths of his own subconscious. But, he's not going to do it alone."

Esmeray watched as Peter sat Lydia on the couch next to the Nogitsune and guided Scott to stand in-between them behind the couch. Scott unsheathed his claws but still looked to be nervous.

Esmeray sent a wave of encouragement-faith down the bond and their eyes locked. She gave an encouraging nod.

"So, what do we do if we find him?" Scott asked.

"You're going to have to guide him out somehow. Try to give him back control of his mind, his body." Peter said.

"Howl?" Melissa suggested.

"That's actually a good idea." Esmeray said.

Scott still didn't look convinced. "What if this is just another trick from the Nogitsune?"

"We don't have a lot of time left." Deaton said.

Esmeray concentrated hard on the bond. You can do this. Both of you. she encouraged.

Scott inhaled softly but sharply. She gave him a smile and the spark in his eyes she had fallen in love with burned brighter.

"For Stiles." Lydia said.

"For Stiles." Scott agreed and plunged in his claws.

The three of them went ridged and Esmeray sighed.

The waiting game had begun.

Ten minutes went by and suddenly blood dribbled down Lydia's nose. The three all gasped and Lydia jerked out of the couch. Esmeray caught her and supported her up.

"Did it work?" Scott asked impatiently, letting go of the Nogitsune. Esmeray glanced at the evil spirit, currently passed out. "Did it work?"

In her arms, Lydia groaned. "What happened?" The Banshee stood up and looked at Stiles. "Why didn't it work?"

"Because it's not science, Lydia— it's supernatural." her father drawled. Esmeray growled when he grabbed Lydia and dragged her away. "I did my part. Now, give me the name."

Scott moved forward but she blocked his path. "What name?" Scott asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Lydia got Dad's help in exchange for the name of the name of my sister, who Dad sired a bit before he meet Chris." she explained under her breath.

"Lydia, a deal's a deal. Even with me." her father growled.

Esmeray went still when she heard the name her best friend whispered.

Malia.

I knew it. she thought.

Suddenly Stiles's scent hit her nose, fresh and strong and alive. She turned to the Stilinski boy as he ripped off the duct tape on his mouth and began gagging up strands of cloth.

When he was done, a hand erupted from the pile of bandages. A figure emerged from it but something— the Nogitsune, slammed her into the wall.

She yelled out and chaos erupted.

The Nogitsune grabbed Lydia and took off. She lunged after him but failed to get him.

"LYDIA!" she screamed, getting to her feet.

"No!" Stiles's voice cried out and she turned to see Stiles. The look of genuine despair, his scent...

It was all Stiles.

She smiled sadly.

They got Stiles back.

But now Lydia was gone.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray held Ethan in place as Deaton dug out the fly. "Hold still. Don't fight it." Deaton instructed. "Hold still! Almost there..."

Deaton then pulled out the fly and threw it to the ground. Ethan staggered away, gagging.

"Isaac, you're next." Deaton said.

Her brother came up. "I'm aware, all right?" he muttered.

Esmeray held Isaac still as Deaton began the process. She took Isaac's pain to try and make the process easier.

"Got it!" Deaton said, removing his hand and showing the fly. He threw it to the ground.

Isaac immediately moved away, spluttering. Allison reached out to them and Esmeray smiled faintly.

She and Allison had her ups and downs but she could see how clearly Allison cared for Isaac.

Maybe... maybe Allison and Isaac could actually work.

Maybe they could beat the odds.

Deaton then finished with Boyd (who had enough self control he didn't need Esmeray to hold him down) and Boyd shuffled out, shaking water off his clothes. Kira quickly hurried to his side and Esmeray wondered if they had gotten together yet.

Seeing the two couples made Esmeray's heart ache, wishing she could have that with Scott but she knew it was unlikely to happen.

"So, is everyone okay now?" she asked Deaton, trying to distract herself.

"I hope so. The part that's worrisome is that this was most likely just a distraction for what was happening to Stiles." Deaton told her.

"There's really two of them now? How's that even possible?" Kira asked.

Allison joined in. "But how did the other one just take Lydia?"

"I tried to stop it." Esmeray admitted, running a hand through her hair. "But that fucker's fast."

"We need to find her." Aiden declared, trying to get to his feet.

His legs gave out and Esmeray caught him, sitting him back down on a bench. "Thank you." Aiden said and she nodded.

"Hold on— how are you so sure which Stiles is which?" Kira asked.

"That's what they're trying to figure out now." Deaton answered.

Kira turned to her, face pale. "They didn't."

"I don't like the plan either." The Hale House Fire survivor said flatly.

Kira ran out of the locker room. Boyd followed.

Isaac looked shocked. "One, they're a cute couple, two what else did I miss?"

"I'll give you the full version later." Esmeray promised.

As Esmeray drove her and Isaac home, Scott called.

Isaac grabbed her phone before she could and answered. "Hey Scott." Isaac said.

"Isaac! I'm glad you're better." Scott said.

"How's Stiles?" Esmeray asked.

Stiles voiced suddenly came through. "Well, the Oni confirmed that I'm actually me."

"That's good." Esmeray said. "So, we'll see you guys in the morning to look for Lydia?"

"Absolutely." Scott answered.

"Alright then." Isaac said and hung up. He turned to her. "What happened between you and Scott?"

"Nothing!" she protested.

"Yeah right." Isaac said.

The evolved werewolf sighed, stopping at a red light. "It happened while you were comatose. The Nogitsune tricked us all into the vet clinic, and then he knocked out Boyd and Kira. Scott was injured, he had a sword through his middle. I fought the Nogitsune but he got the upper hand. Then he revealed Scott and I's mating bond. I've known it since he became a True Alpha but..." she trailed off.

"Scott didn't know until then." Isaac realized.

"Now things are just awkward between us." she said. "I don't want to talk about it. Finding Lydia and getting rid of the Nogitsune comes first, then Scott and I's relationship."

"Good because I have twenty dollars on you and Scott getting together by the end of the school year." her brother drawled.

She looked at him incredulously. "You what?!"

She woke up the next day well after dawn, shaking and covered in sweat. Her night had been filled with nightmares about the Hale House fire.

Fire—
Smoke—
Her skin burning and oh moon goddess it hurt—
Her pack bonds snapping one by one—
Jumping from the window to escape—

Her phone rang and she flinched. Esmeray sat up and saw KIRA THE KITSUNE on the caller ID.

She picked up her phone and answered. "Kira? What's wrong?"

"Meredith Walker is here. She's important to finding Lydia and she's here in school right now—" Kira started ranting.

"Kira, breathe. I'm coming. Where's Boyd?" she answered.

"I'm with Kira. We called Scott already and he told us to call you." Boyd said from the other side of the phone.

"I'll see you two at the school. Don't let her leave!" Esmeray barked and hung up. She threw on a pair of dark leggings, a dark colored skirt, a white shirt, a pair of boots, and a jacket before running out of the apartment. She got into her car and speed to the school, pushing the speed limit.

The moment she parked, Stiles's jeep parked right beside her. She hopped out and nodded. "Come on." Scott said, Stiles scrambling out as well, and she dashed for the school, her fellow students looking at them strangely as she and the two boys burst into the school.

Esmeray waved over Boyd and Kira. "Where's Meredith?" Stiles asked.

"She went missing from Coach's office." Boyd answered. "But there are people from Eichen looking for her."

"What are you three smelling for then?" Kira asked anxiously.

"Stress, soap, anesthetic, drugs?" Stiles suggested.

She gave him a flat look. "Stress, soap, and drugs! Ah yes, very helpful in a school full of teenagers."

"Let's follow Coach's scent." Scott said. "He's got to be looking for her too, right?"

The dark haired girl nodded in agreement. She inhaled and quickly picked out Finstock's scent. "This way." she said and began the way.

She followed his scent to the music room. She picked up her pace and threw open the doors in time to see him take a male orderly.

The lacrosse coach turned to them. " Well? Get her outta here!"

Stiles grabbed Lydia and the group rushed out. She got into her car while Stiles and Scott took Meredith to the jeep.

She texted Isaac.

Dark Moon: Meet us at the McCall House

He responded instantly.

Brother Wolf: Got it.

Esmeray pulled up at the McCall house and entered alongside Stiles, Meredith and Scott.

She saw Rafael McCall standing there and an uncomfortable looking Isaac sitting at the table.

"What are you doing here?" Scott asked. "I could ask you the same thing." Rafael countered.

"Free period. We're doing a study group." Stiles said.

"Who's she?" Rafael asked, gesturing to Meredith.

"She's my girlfriend." Stiles lied and Esmeray swallowed a laugh.

"You're not my type." Meredith said. The ravenette hide a smile behind her hand, shaking with silent laughter. Isaac and Scott both looked visibly amused as well.

"Well, obviously, we have a lot to talk about." Stiles said. "We should maybe take this upstairs?"

Meredith turned to Esmeray. "You're my type."

Esmeray paused and just nodded slowly. She wasn't blind to how Scott not-so-casually stepped in front of her, a very obvious barrier in-between her and Meredith. Someone's jealous? she thought dryly.

"Come on Esmeray, you too. You as well, Isaac! We need all hands, or paws, on deck!" Stiles said and pushed Meredith up the stairs. Isaac followed, shooting Esmeray an amused look over his shoulder.

Esmeray glared at him before subtly glancing at Scott. Want me to stay? she asked down their mating bond.

His first response she didn't hear but she heard his second one. I got this. he answered.

"What was that?" Rafael asked, looking stunned. "Telepathy? And what's going on?"

"Dad, on the last question, you don't want to know." Scott said. "As for the first one, that's private."

"Is it the whole... supernatural thing?" the FBI agent asked before cringing.

"Yes, and I'll give you two a minute." the Hale girl said before heading up the stairs. She got to Scott's room to see Isaac and Stiles in the bathroom and Meredith sitting on the edge of Scott's bed.

Meredith looked at her. "Lydia says she's okay and to not find her."

"Tell Lydia that we're coming for her and that pack doesn't leave pack behind." Esmeray responded.

Meredith nodded. "Okay. Are you going to answer your phone?"

Esmeray blinked before pulling out her phone. She gave Meredith a confused look before the realization dawned on her.

Definitely a Banshee. she thought.

"No, but do you need to?" she asked, kneeling down and offering Meredith the phone.

Meredith nodded and took the phone. The evolved werewolf sensed Stiles and Isaac coming up behind her as she focused on Meredith.

"Mhm, okay." Meredith said before turning to Esmeray. "They say 'coup de foudre.'"

"Coup de- what? What is that, Spanish?" Stiles spluttered.

Esmeray sensed Scott and looked over her shoulder to see him stand in the doorway. "French. It's French." Scott answered. "I know where Lydia is."

Esmeray drove to pick up Boyd and Kira and then drove to Camp Oak Creek.

Please be there, please be there. Esmeray prayed to the moon goddess. If anyone's up there, please let Lydia be there.

"Is Stiles getting better?" Kira asked softly.

Esmeray sighed. "I don't think so."

"We'll save him." Boyd said. "We'll save them both. We don't leave pack members behind, we don't give up on them."

Esmeray smiled. "No we don't." she agreed.

She parked the car once they got there and got up, Boyd and Kira following. Isaac, Stiles, and Scott got out from the jeep while Allison emerged from her car, bow in hand.

Esmeray looked at her pack before turning to Scott.

"We've done this before, guys. A couple of weeks ago, we were standing around, just like this, and we saved Malia. Remember? That was a total stranger— this is Lydia." Scott said.

Esmeray nodded. "I'm here to save my pack mate."

"I'm here to save my best friend." Allison added.

Scott nodded, glancing at Stiles. "I came to save mine."

"I just didn't feel like doing any homework." Isaac said. Esmeray stomped on his foot and he yelped.

"I came to help my pack." Boyd added.

Scott nodded. "Let's go." he said.

They entered the camp grounds and Esmeray looked around in her wolf eyes, ready to shift. Scott and Stiles broke off in one direction while Esmeray lead Boyd, Allison, Isaac, and Kira in the other.

She stopped at the plaza, seeing a women who could only be Noshiko Yukimura, who had two Oni at her side.

"Kira, turn around and go home. Take your friends with you." the older women ordered.

Kira stepped forward. "I can't. When I looked at the game, I realized who I was actually playing— you."

Allison drew her bow. "Call them off."

"You think you could take him alive? You think you can save him?" Noshiko asked, extracting her hands from her pockets.

"You may have failed to save whoever you lost, but we can save Stiles. You've just given up before you tried." Esmeray said, baring her fangs. "Now get out of our way."

Noshiko smiled. "You remind me of your grandmother, Miss Hale. She was strong like you, in both body and spirit. She cared deeply for her pack, but in the end even she had to admit that Rhys was gone."

"Are you sure? Or if Stiles doesn't have to die, maybe Rhys didn't have to die, either?" Kira asked. Noshiko looked slightly stunned. "I see I'm no longer the Fox now, Kira— you are. But, the Nogitsune is still my demon to bury."

The Oni suddenly disappeared into smoke and shadow. A shocked Noshiko suddenly opened her palm, revealing a dying firefly.

"Mom? What is that? What does that mean?" Kira asked.

A dark scent hit Esmeray's nose and she snarled, changing into her werewolf form as she spun around. There stood the Nogitsune, flanked by five Oni. "It means there's been a change in ownership." the Nogitsune said. He smirked. "Now, they belong to me."

Esmeray bared her fangs. "1/10. That was cheesy."

The Nogitsune glared at her and the Oni charged.

Esmeray ducked under one sword and dodged as the Oni swiped at her. She swung her claws and slashed its chest, but it healed quickly.

She growled and kicked it. It staggered back and she pounced, slamming it into the ground. Esmeray shoved her fist into where she imagined the heart would be and pulled.

The Oni vanished into shadows and Esmeray felt something wriggling in her hand. She opened it to see a firefly before it vanished into shadow.

She glanced up to see the Nogitsune's shocked face before an Oni charged at her. She yelled in pain as the blade slashed her stomach, the blade digging deep. She kicked at it but the second blade cut her chest.

She groaned and fell to her knees, glaring up at it.

The Oni raised its sword to decapitate her but then froze, an arrow sticking out of its chest.

It exploded and there stood Allison, looking proud.

"Thank you." Esmeray rasped, failing to her feet. She then sensed an Oni. "DUCK!" she yelled.

Too late.

An Oni drove its sword into Allison's abdomen, going all the way through before vanishing.

"ALLISON!" Scott yelled. He got through the gate and ran to Allison's side.

Esmeray fought through the pain, trying to get up as she listened to Allison.

"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's perfect. I'm in the arms of my first love... The first person I ever loved... The person I'll always love..." Allison gasped out. "I love you... Scott... Scott McCall..."

Esmeray passed out before she could hear Scott's reply.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

She woke up to someone taking her pain. She groaned and squinted, and she saw Scott.

"Scott?" she rasped. "Allison..."

"She's dead." Scott said. Esmeray glanced over to where Isaac was kneeling next to a still corpse. Lydia was there too.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. She knew how much Scott cared about Allison.

Scott took a breath as he kept taking her pain. "It's okay. I got over her a long time ago, but she was still my friend."

Esmeray nodded before Scott helped her to her feet.

Moments later, a car pulled up and Chris jumped out, running to Allison. Her father followed and she jerked her head to Chris. Help him. He needs you. she silently conveyed. Her father nodded and walked to Chris's side, letting the Argent Hunter rest his head on his shoulder.

Esmeray joined them at Allison's side, taking Chris's free side. "I'm sorry." she said to her other father. "She didn't deserve this. She deserved better."

Chris gave her a sad smile, tears running down his face. "She went out the way she wanted, dying to protect her friends and family."

The ravenette swallowed thickly, remembering how Allison had told her that she had been rejecting her Argent side.

"She did." she agreed.

In the end, they had to conduct a plan to explain everything to the police, and take away the evidence of the Oni.

Esmeray collected the arrows before throwing one of Stiles's arms over her shoulder, supporting him as they walked back to his jeep to leave. She gave Boyd his keys so he could drive the jeep with Kira before heading into her car with her father.

"I'll drive." Peter said, taking her keys. The Hale girl nodded numbly, getting into the passenger seat.

"Let's get out of here." she whispered before leaning back and letting tears run down her face.

The tears were for Allison, for her sister.

After getting away from the camp, they drove to the Sheriff's station to get Isaac and Chris.

The evolved werewolf knew enough about grief that being alone was the greatest hell of all when one was grieving.

Esmeray sensed the three coming out of the station and she jumped out of the car, rushing over to them. She pulled Isaac into a tight hug, letting her brother cling to her before gently pushing him in the direction of Peter, who quickly embraced Isaac.

Lydia hugged her next. "I—I saw what would happen if she came and I tried to warn them to stay away but—"

Her heart broke for Lydia, who had seen Allison's death and despite the Banshee's best efforts, failed to prevent it. "You did your best, Lydia."

Lydia still looked grief stricken when they pulled away. "But I warned her! And she came! And because I warned her to not come and find me she came and I got her killed!"

"You warned all of us not to come." Esmeray countered firmly. "And we came because you're a member of this pack, and we don't leave pack mates behind. None of us expected one of us to die. You didn't get Allison killed Lydia, the Nogitsune and that Oni got her killed."

The strawberry blonde nodded and walked away.

"You're good at this." Scott said, standing next to her.

"Because I know how they're feeling." Esmeray admitted. "How are you feeling, Scott?"

The True Alpha turned to her. "I'm hurting like they are." he said. "Like we all are. I'm emotionally aware enough to admit that I'm not fine."

He suddenly pulled her into a hug. Esmeray returned it, tilting her head to the side so her scent could help comfort him. She felt him relax when her scent hit his nose, and they stood like that for what seemed like hours but Esmeray knew was only a few minutes. "I thought you were dead." Scott whispered. "Boyd and Isaac were slashed up but standing, Kira was a bit bruised and Stiles could barely stand. And then I saw you lying there bleeding out..."

The phantom sting of the swords cut through her body. "You thought I died." she murmured.

"I did. I thought you died when we were barely on good speaking terms and I never got to—" he stopped and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Esmeray Hale."

Her inner wolf howled in delight. "I love you too, Scott McCall." she murmured.

After her and Scott's confessions to each other, they split up to help where they could. Scott and Lydia went with Deaton while Esmeray followed Chris back to the Argent apartment along with Isaac and Peter.

"I appreciate the concern, but you don't have to stay." Chris said, leading them into the apartment despite his words.

"Chris, you just lost your daughter and your wife in less than a year." Peter said. "You shouldn't be alone."

Chris, however, was just as stubborn as Allison had been. "I've dealt with this before. I have a capacity and... an ability to compartmentalize my emotions."

"That doesn't work." Peter murmured. "I know from experience."

"And I know she wouldn't want you to be alone." Isaac added.

Chris finally broke down as did Isaac. Esmeray guided her brother to the couch as did her father with Chris, and stayed quiet as the two let their grief out.

"She... she kept trying to say something." Isaac rasped after a few minutes.

"What's that?" Chris asked.

"She was trying to say something to Scott. 'You have to tell him," she said. "You have to tell my father—'" he broke off, sniffling. "She didn't get a chance to finish it, but I'm sure it was just that she loved you."

The last Argent sighed. "It's okay. It's okay. She made a point of telling me earlier."

"Earlier?" Isaac repeated confused.

"There's a tradition we have..." Chris started but trailed off. Her father finished for him. "The silver bullet?"

"She was making a silver arrowhead." Chris finished.

Esmeray remembered how Allison shot multiple arrows, but it was just one that worked. "Where's the arrowhead?" she asked.

"Downstairs." Chris said in confusion. Esmeray got up, her mind spinning. "I need to see it." she said.

Chris looked confused. "Why?"

"Because she figured it out." the evolved werewolf answered.

Chris showed her to where the arrowhead would have been, and the group of four found four more arrowheads.

"Why would she make four?" Chris asked.

"She didn't— she made five. I killed one Oni in the fight, I tried to grab its heart but I pulled out a firefly instead. A different Oni attacked me and nearly killed me before Allison killed it with the first arrowhead." Esmeray explained, holding up the arrowhead.

Her father turned to Chris. "You told me while we where looking for Stiles about your first gun deal, with the Yakuza. The bullets you used, where those silver?"

"They where." Chris answered. "But the bullet just broke its mask."

"Because it went straight through." Isaac joined. "Silver, it's a poison to them!"

"Allison killed it because the arrowhead stayed in the Oni long enough to poison it." Esmeray finished.

Chris caught on. "She made these ones to kill the rest of them."

"Then let's go." Peter said.

Her phone dinged with a text from Boyd.

Quiet Wolf: We're going to the school.

"They're at the school." Esmeray said. "We need to move, and fast."

After Chris loaded up his crossbow bolt with the arrows, the four speed off to the school. Esmeray jumped out of the car the moment it stopped and was greeted with a symphony of growls and roars, which she followed. She saw the fight before her— the twins and Derek facing off against the Oni.

She fell back, letting Chris go forward. The Hunter fired and Esmeray jumped down with Isaac. The Oni who had been shot grappled with the arrow in its chest, pulling it out but it was too late.

It exploded into darkness.

"She was right." Esmeray said, grinning.

"What was that?" Derek asked.

"Silver." Chris announced.

"Esmeray, the box! Get the box to Scott!" Derek barked.

Esmeray nodded and swiped the triskele box before taking off into the school, following the scents of Boyd, Kira, Lydia, Stiles, and Scott.

Stiles's scream of pure agony chilled her to the bone, but her instincts told her it wasn't the real Stiles. Thunder rumbled through the school and underneath it, a faint buzzing hit her ears.

She removed the lid from the box and rounded a corner, easily spotting the fly. She closed the box over it, screwing the lid on as tight as it would go.

When Esmeray finally looked up, she saw the Nogitsune fall to its knees and begin to spasm and convulse until it when inhumanly still. Color drained from its skin until it hardened into clay or stone, and cracks appeared on its face. It fell to the floor and turned into dust on impact, before breeze blew it away.

Stiles suddenly stumbled and fell to the floor, lying still.

"I can hear his heartbeat." Boyd said and Esmeray nodded, focusing her hearing on her human pack mate's heart beat.

"He just fainted." she guessed and kneeled down next to him.

It took a minute but he woke up. "Oh, God... I fainted, didn't I? We're alive? We're all alive?" he asked.

Scott smiled. "Yeah, we're okay..."

Suddenly, Lydia stood up and walked to the door, picking up pace as she went.

"Oh no." Kira whispered. Esmeray held the box tighter as she followed Lydia out the doors.

Lydia burst into a sprint and Esmeray picked up her own pace. Esmeray slammed open the doors for Lydia and the strawberry blonde ran out.

In the dark, Esmeray could see Aiden's dead body, flanked by Ethan and Isaac. Derek, Chris, and Peter all stood around the deceased ex-Alpha, heads down in mourning.

Esmeray closed her eyes.

Not all of us made it. Again.

Three weeks later, after the funerals and Ethan leaving Beacon Hills, Scott slid into the chair next to her in the library. Esmeray looked up from her sketchbook and she subtly inhaled, picking up Boyd, Isaac, and Stiles's scents just outside the library.

"They're eavesdropping on us." she whispered softly so only Scott could hear her.

"I know." Scott whispered back. "But I've been meaning to ask this for a long time."

"Esmeray Hale, will you be my girlfriend." the True Alpha asked her.

The evolved werewolf stopped sketching, looking at Scott.

The Alpha of her pack.

Her mate.

She smiled (unaware of the army of butterflies it set off in Scott's stomach). "Of course I will." she agreed.

"Yes!" Scott said, standing up and getting a withering glare from the librarian. He sat back down, still smiling.

Esmeray just laughed in amusement, getting a faux betrayed look from Scott. She just gave him a chaste kiss on his lips. "Coffee date tomorrow?" she suggested.

"Of course." her boyfriend agreed, smiling.

Esmeray couldn't stop smiling.

Her father looked grim when he came back home a week after that.

"Derek's gone."

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"I hate this." Esmeray said, pacing around the apartment.

"I don't like this any more than you do." her father said. "You know it's for the best, Esmeray. The Calavera's... they would kill you on sight."

Esmeray sat back down on the couch, scowling. "It just feels wrong to stay here while they're down there, risking their lives."

After figuring out that Derek was gone and piecing together it was the Calavera's, a family of Hunters based in Mexico and operated throughout the country and in the Southern US, a plan had been formed.

However, the pack had been forced to wait until winter break to put it into action. And with the Sheriff refusing to leave Stiles more than he needed to, they had seized the final days of winter break to go down to Mexico while the Sheriff attended an out of town meeting.

And to Esmeray's deep displeasure, she had been forced to stay behind, as her status as a child of a Hunter and a Werewolf would make the Calavera's kill her on sight.

She didn't like it, but she knew it was for the best.

The dark haired girl closed her eyes. Stay safe. she thought down her pack bonds.

She got affirmatives from Boyd, Isaac, and Scott but Derek's remained quiet.

And that's what made her worry.

Her phone buzzed that night and she hastily answered. "Scott? What's wrong?"

"I... I can't explain, it will be easier to show you. Can you and your dad meet us at the clinic? And bring one of the grimoires." Scott answered.

Esmeray nodded. "Okay, I'll see you soon."

"Good, love you." Scott said and hung up.

She grabbed a grimoire and her dad lead the way to the car. She got in and Peter speed off for the animal clinic.

Getting there and seeing a de-aged, teenage Derek was not what she was expecting.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"Wow..." Deaton said, eyes wide as he stared at teenage Derek. They were all crowded around the table her dark haired cousin lay on.

"'Wow?' 'Wow,' as in, 'I've seen this before and I know exactly what to do'-kind of 'wow?' 'Cause that's the kind we were hoping for..." Stiles rambled.

Esmeray spoke. "I've read about this ritual. It varies on every person but he should come back to normal if he remembers, or it just wears off naturally."

"When should that happen?" Stiles asked her and Esmeray shrugged. "Again, it varies on every person. Who knows, a week or a month?"

"Great." Peter sighed. "Well, Deaton, if you don't mind, we should leave him here."

"I agree." Deaton said. "Kate won't be able to get past that barrier."

"I'll stay with him." Esmeray offered.

"What?" Lydia asked, looking confused.

Scott meet her eyes, getting her idea. "He's going to wake up at some point. You're his pack and family, his wolf will probably recognize you."

"Exactly." Esmeray confirmed.

"Text us if anything goes wrong." her father instructed. "Now if you excuse me, I need to call Chris and tell him his psychopathic mass murderer of a sister is alive and a werejaguar."

Lydia, Stiles, and Scott had explained everything that had gone down in Mexico.

Esmeray felt dread curl up on her gut at the idea of Kate Argent being back, with the abilities of a were-creature on top of her already lethal combat abilities.

"I will." she promised.

Esmeray looked up from her sketchbook as Derek's heart rate suddenly picked up. She put it down and immediately went to his side, taking his arm and trying to take some pain.

"He's not in any pain." she said, looking over the table at Deaton. She let go of Derek's arm. "And he's really warm."

"I'm going to try something." Deaton said and used a scalpel to make a long cut on Derek's arm. Esmeray blinked and thus, she missed it and his arm was back to normal.

"That's way too fast for normal healing." she said, eyes wide.

Derek's eyes suddenly snapped open, and he lunged at her.

Esmeray swore and side stepped Derek, causing him to tumble to the floor.

She used the moment to suplex Derek, stunning him before she throwing him into the wall. He groaned and looked up at her. A brief spark of recognition flared in his eyes. "Esme?" Derek asked tentatively.

"It's me, Der." she confirmed, getting on one knee in front of him.

"Why are you so... older?" he asked.

She sighed. "That's a long story."

"So it's 2012." Derek repeated in disbelief. "Kate-Kate burned down the house."

"Yes." Esmeray confirmed, gesturing to the burn on the side of her neck. She was wearing a blue shirt with a white cardigan over it, paired with black jeans and combat boots.

"But why..."

"You know why, Derek. She was manipulating you, Derek, to get the information to kill us. I don't blame you, because of how young you were back then. But I'm warning you know to not fall for her tricks." Esmeray said gently but bluntly.

Derek nodded. "The fire killed everyone but Cora, Uncle Peter, Laura, you, and me. Uncle Peter was in a coma, you got burned, and everyone thought Cora was dead because she ran away. And Laura and I moved to New York City."

Esmeray nodded.

"Uncle Peter started healing and sent a message to Laura. He somehow got into the woods and the moon drove him crazy because it was the first full moon he experienced in six years. And he accidentally killed Laura because he didn't recognize her and his wolf was in control." Derek said.

"Something I deeply regret to this day." her father said, getting her attention. Peter Hale stood in the doorway, obviously having been let in by Deaton. "Now, I went on a murder spree, turned Scott, and then you killed me. Not before I killed Kate and accidentally turned her as well, to my dearest displeasure. I mean, can't someone in this town stay dead?!"

"Uh, before I brought you back, I think the pack was hoping you would stay dead." Esmeray quipped.

Peter waved his hand aside. "I already had a back up plan in case I died, so my death doesn't count."

"It does." Esmeray insisted.

"Does not." Peter said.

"Carrying on." Deaton said loudly. "We had a Kamina incident, then the Darach murders—"

"The bitch poisoned me." Esmeray muttered.

"I gave up the Alpha spark for you." Derek guessed and Esmeray nodded.

"We had about three weeks of calm after that, then the Nogitsune decided to cause chaos but we dealt with him. Then Kate kidnapped you and turned you into a teenager." Esmeray finished.

Derek opened his mouth and closed it a couple times like a goldfish before he said. "We should have gone with Uncle Ethan's suggestion to move too Vermont."

Her father nodded. "We should have."

After texting the pack that she had told Derek everything after waking up, she drove him back to the apartment. "I would have thought that Uncle Peter would rebuild the house." Derek murmured, looking up at the apartment building.

Esmeray shook her head. "It has too many ghosts. The city took it over and demolished it, anyways."

"So Uncle Peter got an apartment." Derek said. "He bought the whole building. You did the same to the building where your loft is." Esmeray corrected before getting out of the car. "Come on, I'll show you the way."

Isaac was waiting for them, doing his homework.

"I brought yours and I ordered Japanese take out." he said. "I hope you don't mind, Derek."

"I like Japanese." Derek shrugged, eyeing the apartment. "You're Isaac, right? The first person I turned?"

"Yup." Isaac confirmed.

"He's also my brother, since Dad adopted him." Esmeray added.

"Best early Christmas gift ever." her brother agreed.

Dinner came and went, and Esmeray could pinpoint the moment Derek's thoughts started to trail to their lost family. "I'm going to get some air." Derek said and went to the balcony.

Esmeray stopped Isaac from going after Derek. "He needs to be alone."

"He could have left the door open. Dad sound proofed all the windows so we didn't have to hear the noise from below." Isaac mumbled.

"Yeah, well it's not like something bad's going to happen because he's out there." Esmeray pointed out. "I'll wash the dishes, you can check on him in a few minutes if he doesn't come inside soon."

After five minutes Isaac checked on Derek and rushed back in. "He's gone!"

Esmeray swore and rushed to the balcony, where a familiar scent hit her nose.

"Kate." Esmeray growled.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray ran back in. "You call Dad, I'll get Scott." she said and Isaac nodded. The Hale girl quickly pulled out her phone and dialed Scott's number.

Her boyfriend answered immediately. "What happened? Are you and Isaac okay?"

She let out shaky breath. "Kate came and Derek's gone. Isaac's calling Dad and I called you."

"Shit." Scott swore. "Alright, I'll get Stiles and Malia, you call Boyd and see if he can get Kira. We'll follow his scent."

Isaac entered the room. "Dad says that they're most likely going the school."

"That's good, we know where they're going." Scott replied.

Esmeray closed her eyes. Kate-Derek-school. she broadcasted down the pack bonds. "We'll see you there, Scott." she said and after Scott confirmed, she hung up.

She could tell the rest of the pack where already there, and her father too.

"You find Dad!" she yelled and took off in the direction of Scott and Boyd. She raced through the halls, running at full speed. The smell of death hit her senses and she growled, following it up a set of stairs.

She spotted Boyd, Kira, Scott and Malia blocked by one hulking creature at the top of the stairs, and a second one was in front of her. She unsheathed her claws and jumped onto the one in front of her, her legs going around its neck. She slammed her claws into what she assumed was its face, and her claws went straight the bone mask to hit the face below it.

"Esmeray!" she heard Scott shout over the creature's roar.

She roared back even as something sharp hit her back, flashing her gold eyes and fangs before ripped away, breaking the mask.

The creature screamed and fell apart, causing Esmeray to hit the ground. She let out a groan but got back to her feet, sensing that the cut on her back had healed.

She turned to the fight in time to see Scott shift into his werewolf form and roar, encouragement and strength mixed into a single sound. She howled in agreement with Boyd and lunged back into the fight.

Only for a familiar dark haired blur to smash into the creature so strong it was knocked back. Derek, fully normal now, stood there fangs bared.

"What took you so long?" Boyd teased, getting an exasperated look form Derek.

"Focus!" Kira yelped. The final creature charged at them and Esmeray bared her fangs.

It swung its blade at her but she ducked under it. Malia slashed at its bone mask and Scott followed up with an attack of his own. Boyd punched it square in the gut and it staggered back, but not before stabbing Boyd in the stomach.

The evolved werewolf roared in anger and stabbed it. She sensed Scott dragging Boyd out of the way of the fight and she smiled on the inside. "What the fuck is this thing?" the evolved werewolf yelled, slashing at the creature's side. It swiped at her, knocking her into the wall. She growled and got back up again.

"It's a Berserker!" Derek yelled, swiping his claws at the creature, the Berserkers, back.

Suddenly, a feline roar rang through the air. The Berserker stopped and walked away.

A spike of distress came from her bond with her father and she froze.

"Dad." she breathed and her eyes flicked Scott. He nodded and she took off.

She followed her father's scent to the Hale Vault and she ran down the steps.

Her father stood there, flanked by Isaac, Lydia, and Stiles.

"It was never... never... about the Triskelion." her father snarled, looking around. "They took it. They took it while I was blind..."

Stiles spoke. "Took what?"

Esmeray's eyes widened. "The Bearer Bonds... they took the vaults bearer bonds."

She then sighed. "Well, at least they robbed this vault."

"Wait, this vault?" Stiles repeated.

Lydia caught onto what she meant. "This isn't the only vault, isn't it?"

"Nope." Peter said. "This is one of the family's back up vaults."

"Okay, wait, stop, time out!" Stiles yelled. "So this was a heist. And how much did they take?"

"180 million." Esmeray said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. The Hale's were incredibly wealthy, but Esmeray, unlike Jackson, had never enjoyed flaunting it.

"And that's a back up!?!?" Stiles shrieked, wide eyed and waving his hands around.

She gave him a wry look. "Do you know how old my family is?"

Stiles blinked. "Uh, at least a century? This town was founded in 1836..."

Isaac, who had already received this lesson, cleared his throat. "The Hale family, and by side affect the pack, goes back to 12th century England."

"I need coffee." Stiles declared before looking around the room. "How do we close this place up? Because I don't think Dad can explain this..."

"We can close it." Peter said and the group filed out, and her dad closed the vault with his claws.

Esmeray turned to Stiles. "You told your Dad that Kate's back, right?"

She smelled the guilt coming off of him before he could speak. She gave him an exasperated look

"I've been busy!" Stiles defensively.

"Great. The vault's been robbed, Kate's back, and your dad doesn't know the mass murdering bitch is back!" Esmeray said sarcastically before sighing. "It's okay Stiles, it's been stressful the past few days. Just tell him the first chance you get, okay?"

"I will." Stiles promised. "We'll stop Kate, Esme, I know we will."

"You're sounding like Scott." Esmeray joked.

"That's a good thing then!" Stiles quipped and she laughed.

Even though Kate was back, this time, Esmeray had a pack to support her.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

A week went by since the Hale vault got robbed and Derek was returned to normal.

And Boyd finally asking out Kira.

Only one thing had caught them all of guard: Derek's eyes were now gold, instead of their normal icy blue color.

Esmeray sipped her coffee as she walked into school. Braeden, the mercenary who had saved her, was with her father and Derek to locate Kate. Esmeray, on the other hand, had to agreed to meet up with Malia in the library before school to help the were-coyote with her notes.

And Esmeray was exited to spend some time with her newly discovered half sister. She hoped that she could forge a better relationship with Malia then she and Allison had had.

Kira's thunder-lilac-ozone scent hit her nose, which was drenched with distress and the werewolf turned around to face Kira.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Kira blinked. "How did you know something was wrong?"

"You're scent is radiating distress." Esmeray said, gesturing for the Thunder Kitsune to follow her into the school.

"Werewolves can smell chemosignals? Cool." Kira said, eyes brightening before sadness over took them. "My parents are selling the house."

Esmeray, who had just taken a sip of her drink, choked on the liquid. She spat it up, hacking and coughing. Kira hit her on her back to help her.

"One, Thanks." the blue eyed teenager wheezed. "Two: What!?"

"I know!" Kira yelled as they reached the evolved werewolf's locker. "I went outside for school and I found a 'For Sale' sign in the middle of the yard. My mom says that now that the Nogitsune is gone, we're going back to New York. But I don't want to go back! I want to stay here. I have actual friends here, and Boyd— I don't want to leave him as well."

Kira leaned against the rows of lockers as Esmeray switched out her books. "Despite the Nogitsune incident, I like Beacon Hills. Maybe it's the Nemeton, but I actually feel at home here. And I have a pack, friends who can understand the supernatural. Back at New York, I always felt like I was the odd one out. One of my teachers complained that I could never be normal."

"Who wants to be normal?" Esmeray weakly joked.

"Exactly!" Kira yelled.

"You know, we can hide you in my apartment." Esmeray offered, glancing at her watch. She had five minutes until she had to meet up with Malia. "Or you can just destroy the 'For Sale' sign."

"I'll take it." the Thunder Kitsune said with a grin.

Esmeray let out a soft laugh before bidding farewell to Kira and heading to the library.

Esmeray was one of the first to be in the art room, slipping into her seat.

Lydia followed in soon after, sitting next to her.

"Morning Lydia." Esmeray greeted softly as she pulled out the paints she needed for her sketch. She had been imaging a massive palace for a few weeks now, and she had been reading some architecture books to get a better grasp on it.

"Good morning, Esme." Lydia greeted with a smile.

Isaac strode into the room and fell into the empty seat next to Lydia.

Esmeray reflexively glanced over to Allison's empty seat. But Allison wasn't there, would never be there again. Her half completed art was probably tucked away in the storage, if it hadn't already been given to Chris.

Esmeray began drawing her castle, sitting on a cliff over an ocean. But it was night time, and the stars were out.

And the main constellation was a girl holding a bow, the arrow ready to fire.

Esmeray headed to precalculus with Lydia while Isaac headed to go get Malia from her first period PE class.

Stiles meandered into the class a few minutes after them. And two minutes later, Isaac entered with Malia, gently guiding her into the room.

Esmeray meet Lydia's eyes and grinned mischievously. Stiles had a similarly mischievous look written all over his face at the pair.

"I hate math. It's pointless." Malia complained.

"It's important." Isaac countered patiently. Which, given that he was, surprisingly, an ace at anything related to math and numbers, was easy for him to say.

But it was also true.

"How?" Malia demanded as she sat down.

Stiles grinned. "You need to know it so you know how much to tip at restaurants."

Esmeray gave him a an unimpressed look.

"It's also important for chemistry, engineering, medicine, economics..." Lydia trailed off sarcastically.

"Tipping." Stiles insisted.

"All right, volunteers to the board! Lydia, Diego, Malia..." Ms. Flemming announced.

"Um... I didn't volunteer." Malia spoke up.

"You did now. To the board!" Ms. Flemming said.

Malia glared at Isaac before getting up and heading to the board.

She heard Stiles's phone buzz and her human friend pulled it out. His face fell.

"What?" she asked and Stiles subtly showed her and Isaac the screen.

BEACON LEDGER NEWS ALERT: TRIPLE HOMICIDE, DEVELOPING… flashed on the screen and Esmeray's heart fell as she read more of it. An axe murderer had targeted a family and killed everyone except for the youngest son, who had gotten away and now had to deal with the loss of his entire family.

She and Stiles hurried out of the class. Esmeray navigate the halls of the high school with ease, following her bond with Scott to find him at his locker with Boyd and Kira.

Boyd groaned. "Something happened again, didn't it?"

"Unfortunately." Esmeray snarked.

"Did you guys about this?" Stiles asked, showing his phone. "Triple homicide by an axe murder, mother, father, older son, the youngest got away and right now he's at the hospital."

"An axe murder?" Kira repeated, a look of worry and confusion on her face.

"A family murdering axe murderer." Stiles corrected.

"I think they got the point, Stiles." Esmeray added.

Scott looked at her with a tiny bit of regret. "I already heard about it."

It's okay. she sent down their bond and he relaxed slightly, giving her a relieved look.

Stiles looked flabbergasted. "Wait, what? You did? How?"

"My mom called me. She knew we'd see it on the news." Scott answered.

"Perfect! Let's go!" Stiles said and turned around.

"Stiles, we have school." Boyd reminded the human. Esmeray nodded in agreement.

"All right, did you forget the part about the family-murdering axe-murderer?!?" Stiles said.

"Did you forget that your dad is the Sheriff?" Scott shot back.

"And he's pretty good at his job." Esmeray added.

"This could be a normal homicide." Kira suggested. "If it's supernatural, they'll probably alert us."

"Let's let the adults handle this one." Boyd agreed with his girlfriend.

Esmeray hummed in agreement. "Like Kira said, this could be a normal murder."

"This is Beacon Hills, there are no normal murders!" Stiles protested.

"It could be." Scott added. "Also, what kind of supernatural uses an axe instead of their natural weaponry?"

Stiles shoulder's slumped. "I hate it when you guys make sense."

Esmeray patted his back. "If it consoles you, at least the new teacher that replaced Mr.Harris is actually pretty cool."

Esmeray kissed Scott's cheek before they split up after school ended. "Good luck at tryouts. And don't be afraid to use your powers."

Scott kissed her forehead back. "Thank you." he said before they parted ways.

Esmeray headed to the bleachers, getting a strong sense of deja vu from the previous year, where she had attended with Lydia and Allison and located Scott as the newly bitten werewolf. So much has changed in a year. she thought bittersweetly. The dark haired girl spotted Kira and Malia and she joined them, sitting next to the free spot besides Malia.

"Boyd's competing." Kira told her.

Esmeray whistled. "He certainly has the physique for it. Isaac's going to try out again this year as well."

The boys came out and tryouts began. Esmeray watched before breaking out her sketchbook and began drawing.

After a few minutes she heard a whistle and she meet Malia's gaze. "That's pretty good." the werecoyte said.

The Hale girl smiled. "Thank you."

Tryouts began to pick it up and she winced at Scott's struggling performance. In contrast, a new player she didn't recognize was excelling.

"Come on Scott. You can do this, you don't need to hold back. Just regulate the strength and speed you use." she whispered, knowing her mate could hear her. She sent a wave of encouragement down the bond and Scott's performance began to improve rapidly. Her mate sent her her a strong wave of gratefulness from his end of the bond.

"What did you do?" Kira asked her and Esmeray smiled innocently. "A pep talk." she answered cryptically.

Scott and Boyd began to work easily together to block the shots.

She grinned. "Go Scott!" she yelled.

Only a for a new player to suddenly get past Boyd and score a goal.

Malia got up. "Do over!" she yelled.

"Malia." Esmeray hissed, standing up and trying to get her fellow advanced shape shifter to sit down.

Finstock scoffed. "Sweetheart, there are no do-overs— this is a practice."

Malia didn't give up. "Ten bucks on Scott and Stiles!

"I'll take that action!" Coach declared. "Hey! Get back in there, Liam! You too Stilinski!"

Even though she was on the bleachers, Esmeray could smell the tension and excitement from the team. Malia made a face and Esmeray put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Focus on me, focus on my scent and my heart beat. In five, out on the sixth."

Malia gave her a thankful smile and relaxed after she did the breathing trick. Esmeray turned back to the field in time to see Scott and Liam collide. The younger boy went over Scott's shoulders and hit the ground.

Esmeray could hear the loud snap of his bone even from her seat in the bleachers.

She meet Scott at the school entrance.

"So?" she asked.

"We're taking him to the hospital. It could be a sprain, it could also be a break. The nurse couldn't tell." her boyfriend explained.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked.

Scott shook his head. "No, I got this." he answered but Esmeray could smell the guilt coming off of him.

"Scott, if you hadn't been regulating your powers, Liam wouldn't probably have a broken ankle, but a snapped spine." she said bluntly. "It was an accident, and lacrosse is a violet sport anyways."

"I know, I just..." he trailed off, making a frustrated noise.

"It's going to be okay." she said gently. "Just don't bite him or something."

"I'm not." Scott promised and Stiles's voice reached their ears. "I'll see you later, I promise."

She nodded and he hurried back to Stiles.

Later that night, as she did her homework, her phone buzzed.

Wonder Wolf: How fast can you get to my house? I did something stupid.

Esmeray sighed.

Dark Moon: You bit him, didn't you?

Scott responded quickly. Wonder Wolf: It was an accident. I'll explain everything once you get here.

Dark Moon: I'm coming. she texted back and quickly got her boots and jacket on before racing out of the apartment.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

As Esmeray approached the McCall house in her wolf form, she saw Liam Dunbar run barefoot out of the house. She could sense the newly made wolf in him and she just sighed.

She saw that the door of the McCall house was open, and she further spotted Stiles and Scott picking themselves up form the floor. She waited until they saw her and she morphed back into her human form, dusting off her jeans.

"First of all, the full moon is tomorrow and secondly, I can't leave you alone anymore, can I?" she drawled, walking over to them.

"That's what I said!" Stiles yelled.

"I panicked!" Scott protested.

She rubbed her temples. "Scott, I love you, but please tell me you have an idea back up plan since you lost him?"

"That's why he called us." Stiles snarked.

Scott just let out a small laugh before a serious look came over his face. "Yeah, but I have an idea."

Scott had texted the pack group chat to let them know what happened and the plan.

Esmeray watched Scott and Stiles catch up too Liam with Isaac joining them. She walked over, her supernatural hearing letting her pick up their conversation despite the distance.

"We need to talk." Scott said.

"About what!?" Liam all but snarled. "You kidnapping me?"

"Scott kidnapped you, I aided and abetted." Stiles corrected.

"Liam, when I bit you, I turned you." Scott said. "And the full moon is tomorrow."

"Werewolf's don't exist." Liam said.

"You're bite wound has healed by now, and so has your ankle." Scott started. "You're probably been hearing things you shouldn't be since I bit you, haven't you? Your parents talking downstairs, cars from a block away, the engines of vehicles. Your sense of smell's increased to the point you can smell what your parents are feeling. And a new set of instincts, that's your inner wolf. And you can feel a pull to me, Isaac, Boyd, and Esmeray. That's the pack bonds you have with us. You can feel an echo of one with Stiles as well."

Liam looked pale. "N-no! You're lying!"

Isaac rolled his eyes and suddenly broke Liam's wrist.

Shit. the blue eyed teenager thought.

Liam howled, shifting into his werewolf form and lunging for Isaac. Esmeray grabbed his right arm and Scott grabbed his left arm, and Stiles opened a classroom door. She and Scott got the younger werewolf into the classroom.

Liam almost broke out of her grip but she held onto him. "Liam!" she yelled, trying to reach out through the small pack bond with waves of calm and comfort but it didn't help.

She glanced at Scott and nodded.

Her mate's eyes glowed red and when he spoke, the full weight of his inner wolf was on the words. "Liam!"

Liam stopped and shuddered, calming down and slowly turning back into his human form. He stopped fighting the two of them and she helped the freshmen into an empty seat.

Esmeray grabbed Isaac and beckoned Stiles to follow. Just for those two. she silently conveyed and the boys followed her out.

She could hear the conversation between Scott and Liam and she grinned when she heard sensed the pack bond Liam now had with them all solidify, if not still shaky.

He's going to be good at this. the Hale girl thought, a smile forming on her face.

Esmeray was mildly surprised when Liam approached her, during lunch.

"Scott said that you're the Pack Heart, but he didn't really explain that. Boyd also mentioned you know the most about werewolf stuff." the younger boy said, sitting across from her in the library. Liam frowned. "But Scott's the Alpha."

Esmeray sensed Scott outside the library but she could see that Liam hadn't.

"The Pack Heart is what is the title says- the heart of the Pack. They're the person in the pack who keeps everyone connected to each other and who they are, and provides the occasional emotional support." she explained. "Did Scott, Boyd, Stiles, and Isaac explain the basics of the supernatural?"

"Yeah, during and after practice." Liam said. "They said that wolfsbane is fatal and I have to get it out of my body as soon as I can, by burning it or something about putting the strain I've been shot in ashes in the wound, that I can kinda communicate with you guys through my pack bonds, and that a ring of mountain ash can keep me in a building or out of it."

He paused. "Boyd mentioned something about moonstone."

Esmeray nodded. "Moonstone absorbs moonlight, so werewolves held in a building made of moonstone will be starved of the full moon, and once they are released and feel the moon again, their inner wolf will take control, depending on how many full moon's they've missed. So we need to expose ourselves to the moonlight in order to ensure our inner wolf is sated."

Scott joined them. "Tonight, you need to go to the Martin's lake house so you can experience it. Stiles will put you in a ring of mountain ash so you can't get out. Since it will be your first, it's not going to be fun."

Liam looked a bit nervous. "You'll be there, right?"

"We will." Scott promised.

Esmeray nodded. "Pack sticks together."

The next morning, after the full moon had run it's course, was when Lydia approach them all with a grim face and a hit list with their names on it.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray, Scott, and Stiles all went to the Sheriff with the list. The two werewolves and two humans clustered around crime scene photos and other pieces of evidence that Noah had been able to scrounge up.

"So, the Walcotts were the first... at least, the first we know about. Four murders— Sean, his brother, and their parents." Stiles explained to them. "They were killed by a professional assassin called the Mute; weapon of choice, a military tomahawk. But then, the Mute was killed by Peter My Middle Name is Murder Hale—"

Esmeray cut him off with a glare. "Dad's killed a tone of people, I won't deny it. But he's only killed people who went after him or his loved ones."

Noah sighed. "True."

Stiles thought about it and relaxed. "He did kill Jennifer, but she was a bit of a bitch."

"Yes, she was just a bitch. Not a mass murdering Darach.

" Scott snarked.

"She was also that." Stiles amended. "Okay, so Peter killed the Mute after he tried to blow up Derek with a claymore mine. Next was Demarco. He delivered a keg to the party at Liam's friends Mason's house yesterday... and got decapitated outside his car. Liam found him when he was going to get his bike to go home, found Demarco, freaked out, and texted Scott, who called me and Esmeray, and I called Dad."

Stiles pulled out the final picture of a young blonde women who had been found by the police that very morning, stabbed to death.

"And then, last night, twenty-three-year-old Carrie Hudson." the sole human member of the McCall pack finished grimly.

Scott spoke. "It's a Deadpool— a hit-list of supernatural creatures." He pulled out the list of names. "This is only part of it... The rest still has to be decoded."

"Who found this list?" Stilinski asked.

"Lydia did." Esmeray revealed.

"How?" the Sheriff asked, looking very lost.

"She unknowingly used her Banshee powers to transcribe the list in her math notes this semester." Stiles commented.

The Sheriff just looked even more lost.

"And then she transcribed all of it in her grandma's office during the full moon." Esmeray further clarified.

The Stilinski patriarch tantively nodded. "All right, what are these numbers next to the names?"

Stiles spoke up. "We're getting to that. First, you need to know that the code was broken with a cipher key."

The Sheriff's eyebrows went up. "Wait... You mean, like, a... like a key word?"

Esmeray rubbed the back of her neck, her eyes planted on her feet. "It was a name." she said quietly.

Scott squeezed her shoulder, giving her a sad smile. Stile stayed quiet out of respect for her and for her half sister. The two boys knew that the revelation of the key word had hit her hard.

She looked up to see the dawn of understanding dawn across his face. "Allison."

The evolved werewolf nodded. "It was her name that broke the third of the list."

"Boyd was the one who figured out that there are two more sections of the list. Two more cipher keys" Scott added.

"Which will give us the rest of the names. Okay... So, how do we get the cipher keys?" the Sheriff asked.

"Just like we got this one. Lydia's trying to figure the other two, she's been at the lake house nearly ever day after school." Stiles said.

The Sheriff turned to her. "You didn't know about Demarco or Carrie?"

She shook her head. "Beacon Hills was Hale Pack territory, and after the Fire, Dad and I were the only ones here. They must be werewolves from outside the town, in another pack. I can ask Dad thought, and Satomi."

"Satomi? You Kira's mom's Satomi?" Scott asked.

The ravenette nodded. "She taught me how to control my powers and I know some of the kids in her pack that are my age since we had playdates together before the fire. Her pack's very big, over a hundred and fifty members, and she fosters a lot of werewolf kids who have been orphaned, as do most of her pack. They operate all over the county. I can go to her to see if Carrie and Demarco are part of her pack, and to warn her about the Deadpool."

"Okay, you do that." Scott said.

Esmeray nodded and snapped a photo of the list. She pulled out Satori's contact while Scott, Stiles, and the Sheriff continued the conversation.

Esmeray: Deadpool.image
Esmeray: You need to get everyone in your pack on this list into hiding, or just more on alert. It's a hit list of everyone here in Beacon Hills, maybe the whole county.
Esmeray: We have two confirmed assassins, a third's dead. But there can (and most likely will) be more coming.

Satomi responded after a few minutes.

Satomi: I've warned my Beta's on the list. We're using some of our escape contingencies for Hunter's, we're making new ones. This explains Demarco and Carrie's sudden disappearances. Three of mine are living in the town, and I just told them. They're going to try and discreetly leave.
Satomi: Thank you, Esmeray, for warning us. And be on your guard too, I don't want you to die as well.

She rejoined the conversation in time for hearing them discuss who hired Demarco.

She listened before realizing who had done it. "A student." she spoke. "There's an assassin or two posing as students here in Beacon Hills, they got themselves into the party, and they lured in Demarco to kill him."

Stiles threw his hands in the air. "Why is always our school!?" he groaned.

"Because the universe hates us." Esmeray deadpanned.

For the next two days, the pack was tense and careful, enforcing a buddy system to not be caught off guard. Lydia was constantly in the art room, trying to decipher the new key.

The day of the big lacrosse game, Esmeray approached her best friend during their shared art class. "Lyds, try and relax. Breathe, and let it come to you. I don't think trying to force it will work."

The strawberry blonde frowned but nodded. "Your right, Esme."

Esmeray squeezed her best's friend shoulder encouragingly. "You'll be able to do it Lydia, I know you can."

Lydia smiled at her and Esmeray smiled back before heading back to her seat, enjoying the brief moment of calm.

It shattered during lunch when Stiles raced to their table, informing them that the killer was on the lacrosse team.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"We didn't find it." Isaac informed her at the end of the day as the two walked to Esmeray's car.

"The assassin probably wouldn't have left their weapon in a bunch of lacrosse sticks were they could loose it." Esmeray pointed out.

Isaac hummed, nodding in agreement. "There's also the fact that most of the team uses their own gear. But we do have a lead on who it is."

She looked at him. "Who?"

"The new player, Garrett. Liam mentioned he ordered the keg so he was the one who lured in Demarco." Isaac explained.

"It's always one of the new people." Esmeray quipped weakly, causing Isaac to chuckle.

She spotted the bus carrying the opposing team and she stopped to watch. She had forgotten it was the night of the Beacon Hills-Devenford Prep lacrosse scrimmage, and she quickly remembered who attended the school that she knew.

As if on cue, she spotted Brett amongst the students and he sensed her. Their eyes locked and she gave a small nod of acknowledgement. Brett nodded back.

"Brett!"

The evolved werewolf inhaled sharply. "What the hell is he doing?" she whispered to herself, tensing up.

Isaac gripped the railing, her brother obviously ready to jump over it.

But to Esmeray's surprise, Liam held out a hand to Brett. "I just wanted to say... Have a good game."

Isaac relaxed but she didn't. Not when she could literally smell the anger-amusement coming off of Brett and the other Devenford Prep students and they began to laugh.

When their laughter died down, Brett spoke. "That's cute, Liam. Is that what they told you to say in anger management? Apologize, and everything's fine?"

The werewolf stepped forward, glaring down Liam. "You demolished coach's car."

Liam glared back, fists clenched. "I paid for it."

"Yeah, you're going to pay for it. We're gonna break you in half out there— and it's gonna be all your fault."

Esmeray smelled Liam's blood and she immediately jumped over the fence, pushing her way through the crowd of students. How Brett couldn't sense that Liam was a werewolf was beyond her, but she couldn't focus on that right now. She saw Scott and Stiles doing the same and sensed Isaac right behind her, his longer legs letting him catch up to her

"Liam." she hissed under her breath, sending wave of calm-comfort down their bond in an attempt to comfort him as she got closer to the younger Beta. Liam's anger slipped down but stayed strong.

Stiles got there first, right up in front of Brett. Isaac slid in place in front of Liam while Scott held back Liam with Esmeray lurking in the crowds. She wasn't on the lacrosse team, it would have made no sense for her in the minds of the human students to stop a fight between Liam and Brett, other than being Scott's girlfriend.

Stiles spewed his little speech before Liam was dragged away. Esmeray followed after them, taking Liam's right side as Scott held his left. Isaac threw open the door and five steps in did Liam attempt to escape her and Scott's grip, shifting into his wolf form.

"Liam!" Esmeray yelled, trying to calm him down. But unlike with the others, it had no effect, and he kept fighting.

They dragged him further into the room, slamming him up against the shower wall and an idea hit her.

"Isaac, turn it on!" she barked and Isaac quickly obeyed, turning on the spray of cold water.

It drenched Liam in a matter of seconds, but he kept fighting. He struggled to get out of her and Scott's grip, but they were stronger.

"Okay, you calm yet?" Stiles asked.

The ravenette sent the human a murderous death glare as Liam roared in response.

She glanced at Scott and they slammed him against the wall again, right under the spray. "LIAM!" Scott roared, red eyes and Alpha voice in full effect.

Liam turned back near instantaneously, gasping and shivering, fangs and claws receding back into normal teeth and finger nails. Esmeray turned off the water as Liam slid down the wall, gasping out "Okay, okay."

Scott crouched down in front of Liam. "That car you smashed... I thought you said that was your teacher's?"

Guilt came off of Liam so strongly, Esmeray knew it meant there was more to the story. "He was also my coach. He benched me for the entire season." the younger werewolf admitted.

"What did you do?" Isaac asked.

"I got a couple of red cards..." Liam answered, trailing off.

Stiles scoffed. "Just a couple?"

Esmeray gave the human a warning look.

Scott gently pressed forward. "You gotta be honest with us— what else happened?"

"Nothing. I got kicked out of school. They sent me to a psychologist for an evaluation." Liam explained.

"What was it?" Esmeray asked gently.

"Intermittent explosive disorder." Liam reluctantly revealed.

"I.E.D.?" Stiles repeated, an incredulously look on his face. "You're literally an I.E.D.? That's great. That's great."

"Stiles." Isaac snapped. "You're not helping."

The human winced. "Sorry."

Esmeray spoke. "If they gave you anything, don't try and take it. Our healing will stop it from working."

"Okay, here's what we do." Scott said. "Liam, you'll need to get out of the game, tell coach your leg is still hurting."

"No, no!" Liam protested, getting to his feet, causing Scott to rise to his as well. "I can do this! Especially if you guys are there."

Esmeray spoke. "Liam, we think the killer is Garrett. Isaac told me that you said he was the one who ordered the keg. He wanted to draw Demarco to the party, and he either killed Demarco himself or he has a partner who did the deed."

"Violet." Liam blurted out, eyes wide. "She's Garrett's girlfriend. She went missing for a few minutes, I thought she went to the bathroom but Mason said that one of her friends was looking for her because they couldn't find her."

"Lovely, we have a psycho one and psycho two who are at the school, in love, and mudering their way through this town's population while going on movie dates on the side!" Stiles said sarcastically.

"Satan is hiding from you and your sarcasm." Esmeray quipped.

"Good, it means he won't take Stiles anytime soon." Scott snarked.

"I'm taking that as a compliment." Stiles said, beaming.

After the talk in the locker room, Esmeray tracked down Brett to one of the vending machines, a few of his team mates chattering a little ways away from him.

Esmeray cleared her throat, getting their attention. "Brett, we need to talk."

Brett raised his eyebrows but nodded, motioning for the others to go. She was surprised how easily they complied.

"What?" he asked.

"Liam—" she started but he cut her off.

"Is a little prick who will get what he deserves tonight." Brett said angrily, cutting her off.

"He was turned a few days ago." Esmeray said.

That got his attention.

"What." he repeated weakly. "But he has I.E.D.! Who in the name of the moon goddess turned him!?"

"My mate." the ravenette said bluntly. "And it was to save his life."

She continued, not letting Brett cut her off again. "You have a grudge against Liam, okay, I get that. But for the love of the moon goddess, not tonight. Brawl in the preserve if you two need to have a go at each other. Please, just wait a night."

Brett was quiet for a little while. "Fine, I'll wait. I can't promise about the others though."

She nodded. "I know. But one more thing: Did Satomi tell you about the Deadpool?"

He nodded. "Yeah, everyone's spooked."

"We think one of the assassin's is one of our players, Garrett. Be wary of him." she warned.

Brett nodded. "Thanks, Esme. Keep an eye on Lori for me, okay?"

Esmeray smiled. "Of course. Stay alive."

"Stay alive." Brett echoed.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray wove through the crowds of people that had come for the game, scanning the area for Lori. She spotted the younger werewolf and made a beeline for her.

She tapped Lori's shoulder and the younger girl looked over her shoulder, grinning at her. "Esmeray! It's good to see you again!"

She smiled warmly. "You too, Lori. Mind if I sit with you?"

Lori beamed. "Sure!"

Esmeray sat down next to Lori, her blue gaze watching the field and her pack. After a few minutes she sensed two people approaching her and she looked over her shoulder to see Mason, Liam's human best friend, and Violet, Garrett's girlfriend who was creepily staring at her.

If she isn't an assassin, I'll eat my shoes. Esmeray thought coldly as she meet the other girl's stare head on. "Is there something on my face?" she asked.

Violet blinked and shook her head. "No. Can we sit here?"

Not having a good excuse to turn away either of them, Esmeray nodded.

As the scrimmage started, Mason asked "Are all the lacrosse players really hot, or is it just me? I mean, Isaac looks really ripped and Scott is—"

She laughed when Mason paused and looked at her, with Lori and Violet doing the same. Mason looked embarrassed as he meekly looked at her, the scent of awkwardness coming off of him in wave.

"Back the hell off, little freshmen, Scott's mine." Esmeray quipped.

Mason nodded sheepishly and Lori giggled.

The scrimmage continued. Esmeray grimaced as two Devenford players knocked down Liam.

She closed her eyes and sent down a strong wave of calm-determination-encouragement down her bond with Liam. She opened her eyes to see Liam relaxed and felt him send down a small wave of thankfulness back.

The game went like that. If Liam got upset or angry or close to wolfing out, Esmeray would calm him down or one of the pack would quickly be there for him.

Pack sticks together. the evolved werewolf thought to herself.

Kira was able to score and Esmeray cheered loudly for her friend. Finstock was not happy however, and put Kira on the bench.

Scott, Boyd, and Stiles were all able to score on their own as well, bringing up the score in Beacon Hill's favor.

Suddenly, three players slammed into each other. Garrett, Liam, and Brett were all knocked off their feet.

"Oh god." Esmeray murmured as Lori shot up in concern. Esmeray tugged the younger girl down gently.

"He'll be fine Lori." she said soothingly but Lori looked concern. "I want to check on him, you know? See if it's really bad or not." the other werewolf said and left the stands.

Esmeray rubbed her temples in concern as her eyes meet Scott. He glanced at Liam and shook his head.

Wait, so it wasn't Liam it was—

Esmeray glanced to her side to see Violet was gone.

Shit. Esmeray thought.

"I gotta go, my dad's texting me." she lied to Mason, checking to make sure Scott wasn't watching. He wasn't and she easily left her spot and faded into the crowd.

She followed Brett and Lori's scent to the boy's locker room, where she spotted a pair of legs sticking out from the door.

She ran into the room, seeing Lori out cold and Brett barely conscious. "Esmeray, run!"

She snapped her head to see Violet holding a thermo-cut wire, staring at Esmeray with hunger in her eyes. Violet lunged but Esmeray easily side stepped Violet, only for the girl to wrap it around her neck.

Esmeray grabbed the wire, preventing it from going around her neck. The burned part of her palms held the thermo-cut wire, shrugging off the heat with ease as her regeneration reversed the harm the wire did to her.

Violet started to rant. "He said I shouldn't try, but I got you! I got an evolved werewolf! I thought you would be stronger—"

Esmeray growled, low in her throat as she turned her head around to meet Violet's gaze, her eyes no longer blue but gold with wolf pupils, staring at her target as a predator did to their prey.

Violet frantically tugged but Esmeray snapped the chord in two, causing Violet to stumble back. "Wait, please! I didn't mean—" the assassin begged.

"Shut the fuck up." the evolved werewolf snarled, grabbing Violet's neck and easily lifting her up with one hand. She promptly slammed the girl into the wall, using enough strength to knock her out cold. Once she was sure Violet was unconscious, she dropped the girl to the floor.

Scott slid into the doorway, took in the scene, and sighed in relief.

"No one's dead. And you need to call your dad." Esmeray said, kneeling next to Brett.

The familiar sent of wolfsbane hit her nose and she grimaced, resisting her instincts to get away from the fatal plant.

"And call Deaton."

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

After calling the Sheriff, Esmeray, Stiles, and Boyd got Brett and Lori out of the school as quickly as they could, putting Brett in the back seat Stiles's jeep while Lori was placed in the back seat Esmeray's car as well. Derek, who had been in the vault, joined them and hoped into Esmeray's car, claiming the passenger seat.

Esmeray's nose twitched as Derek's scent hit her nose. It was faded and weak, just like hers when—

"So, how long have you been entering the transition?" she asked nonchalantly.

Derek gave her a surprised look. "W-What do you mean?"

She kept her gaze on the road as she answered his question. "Transition. As in, go from normal werewolf to evolved werewolf. During the process, we lose our powers and learn what it's like to be human."

"And then what?" Derek asked. She could smell the relief coming off of him, of knowing what was going on.

"We die." she said brutally honest. Derek let out a strangled noise.

She quickly clarified the situation. "Then we come back."

Derek gave her a wide eyed look. "So, when Victoria Argent slit your throat, that was the second time you died."

Esmeray winced, her right hand going up to her throat, where the knife had sank in and slit her throat. "Yup." she said.

Lori suddenly groaned and sat up. "Ugh, where..."

"You're in my car." Esmeray answered, meeting the younger girl's gaze through the rear view mirror. "Don't worry, we're going to a safe place."

"Wait, so that freshman bitch was—"

"An assassin? Yes." she confirmed.

They made it to the clinic, with Deaton waiting for them outside. Boyd was strong enough to carry in Brett on his own, so Esmeray and the others held the doors open.

Pinning Brett down so they could make an incision and burn it out was an entirely different matter.

"What the hell is happening to this kid?" Stiles yelled as Brett thrashed under him.

Esmeray growled as she pinned Brett's right arm down. Lori held his other arm while Boyd and Derek held down his legs.

Deaton, wielding a scalpel, hovered over Brett. "He's been poisoned by a rare wolfsbane. I need to make an incision, and you need to hold him as still as possible."

The evolved werewolf looked at Lori. "Calm him down!"

Lori hesitated. "How?"

"Yell his name! His inner wolf will recognize you." she explained, grunting as Brett struggled against her.

Lori nodded, her eyes glowing gold. "BRETT!" she yelled.

Brett went still and Deaton hastily made the incision before grabbing his torch, which made her quickly back away, and began burning out the wolfsbane. "That's gotta suck." Stiles muttered.

Esmeray staggered away from Deaton and the flames, squeezing her eyes shut as the smell of burning flesh and the noise of flames brought back too many memories of the Hale House fire.

She sensed her dad approach her from behind her and pull her close. She didn't open her eyes until it was over and let out a sigh of exhaustion. She squeezed her dad's hand and he squeezed back before letting her go.

She glanced at Lori when the younger girl began to recite "Three things cannot be hidden, the sun, the moon, the truth.... the sun, the moon, the truth," Lori took a breath "The sun, the moon, the truth."

"Satomi." Derek said. "You're one of Satomi's Beta's."

"Really Derek?" her father snarked. "These kids are affected by wolfsbane, are on the Deadpool, and they don't smell live regular wolves?"

Derek flipped off Peter. "It's been six years, and than we had your drama, the Kanima, the Darach and the Alpha Pack, and then the Nogistune. I apologize, checking up on any of Satomi's new Betas wasn't my biggest priority."

"Wait, don't smell like regular wolves?" Stiles repeated, visibly confused.

Lori hesitated, looking at Esmeray. The older girl gave a nod. "My pack has learned how to inhibit our werewolf scent. It prevents any supernatural from tracking us by werewolf scent."

Boyd whistled. "That's so cool."

Lori nodded. "Brett and I are born werewolves, our parents were part of Satomi's pack and we started to learn once we both turned five. After they died, Satomi took us in and helped us finish learning how." she glanced at Derek. "But one major drawback is that sometimes, friendly werewolves can't scent us out."

Esmeray glanced at Derek. "I still haven't heard the full story."

Derek glared at her, though he reeked of embarrassment. "And you won't!"

Peter smiled largely, unhinged glee coming off of him. "I know the story—"

Derek threw a scalpel at her dad, though he easily dodged, cackling all the while.

Once Brett woke up, he was given an explanation of the events that happened and Esmeray had driven him and Lori back to their house. Esmeray returned home, where Isaac had cooked up some chicken pesto pasta.

They both knew how to cook, Esmeray had learned under Deaton and Isaac had learned since his dad often forgot to feed him.

Scott called her as she got ready for bed. "Hey Esme." he greeted.

"Hey Scott." she replied. "How did it go at school?"

She could hear Scott sigh. "So, Violet and Garrett are this assassin duo called the Orphans. Dad recognized this when he saw her thermo-cut wire. They've killed over a dozen people."

She hissed. "Garrett's missing. So he's going to get desperate. And a desperate assassin is a very bad thing."

"Yeah." Scott agreed. "Just, stay safe?"

She smiled. "I will." she promised. "I love you, Scott. So you stay safe too, because I can't loose you."

"You won't." Scott promised. "I love you too."

During school as she and Scott enjoyed lunch together, having a peaceful school day for once, she looked up when she smelled a flare of distress and the source of the distress approaching her and Scott.

It was a freshman, one she had seen Liam hanging around with. "Uh, Scott, Esmeray?" the boy asked.

"You're Mason, right?" Scott asked beating her to the punch. "Liam's best friend?"

"Yeah, that's me." the freshman, Mason, confirmed. "Have you two seen Liam? I haven't seen him since our run together this morning."

She looked at Scott who minutely shook his head. "No, neither of us." she spoke.

She remembered what she had told Scott last night and she gave him a look. Scott nodded, and she knew he had remembered too.

A desperate assassin is a very bad thing.

"Let's ask around." Scott said, grabbing his bag and standing up.

Esmeray nodded, grabbing her messenger bag. "Let's go."

They asked around. But no one had seen him, which made Esmeray worry.

He was alive, but his bond, still growing and settling in place, was blocked by something. She texted the pack group chat, but no one had seen him as well.

They finished with Coach, who gave the same answer: no, he hadn't seen Liam. "Maybe he's sick." the lacrosse team coach suggested.

Mason spoke. "Liam didn't look sick on our run..."

Scott checked his phone. "He's not getting back to any of my texts."

"Or mine." Esmeray agreed.

The school bell rang and Mason moved to walk away. "We'll find him." Esmeray promised. "But if you see him, text us."

"I'll keep looking for him." Esmeray told Scott once Mason was out of ear shot. Her boyfriend nodded, hugging her and giving her a quick kiss on the lips before he let go and they parted ways.

Esmeray got to her car, driving away from the school as she brainstormed. Alright, so the last place he was seen was at the preserve. I'll start there.

She drove to the preserve, parked, and entered. Once she was deep enough, she let out a roar.

There was a beat of silence before Liam roared back. The evolved werewolf took off running, going as fast as her legs would carry her.

I'm coming. she tried to express down the bond they shared.

She followed the source to the well, where she could sense Liam inside. She peered down to see Liam trying to climb up. He grinned when he saw her, and began climbing more quickly.

He almost slipped when he go to the top. She grabbed his hands and pulled him up.

She was surprised with how quickly he pulled her into a hug. "You came." he choked out.

Esmeray returned the hug, letting him cry. "Of course I did. We're pack." she said. "And pack stays together."

The sour smell of wolfsbane hit her nose. "And you need medical help."

Esmeray winced at Liam's screams, holding him down and absorbing his pain as he flailed under her grip. Deaton stopped and Liam relaxed, letting out a pain groan.

"That hurt." the Beta groaned, sitting up and getting off the table.

She helped steady him as he swayed on his feet. "It always will."

She froze when Scott sent down a wave of summons down all the pack bonds. Argent Arms International

Liam gave her a wide eyed look. "What was that?"

"Get ready Liam." she said, trying to steel her voice. "We're going to be in a fight."

Esmeray picked up Boyd, Malia, and Kira before driving them all to Argent Arms International.

"If Kate isn't here, then I'll eat my shoes." Esmeray muttered under her breath.

"She's definitely got to be here." Boyd said.

Several loud roars could be heard. "Come on!" Malia yelled, jumping out of the car.

Esmeray got out too, all but sprinting. She speed past Malia, following Scott and Chris's scent.

She saw a Berserker tower over Chris and she roared. She body slammed the Berserker, forcing it away. "Get off of him!" she yelled.

She caught a glance of Kate, the woman giving her a vicious death glare.

Esmeray didn't have the time to return it because she had to dodge a blow from the Berserker. She danced out of it's way, leading it away from Chris. Then she jumped over it and landed on it's back, bringing out her claws and slamming them through its mask.

It roared and she roared back. It grabbed her and threw her to the ground. She rolled away from a blow and got to her feet.

Boyd slammed into it and Liam, Malia, and Kira joined the fight.

Boyd grabbed one arm and held it down, with Liam and Malia holding the other down. Kira stabbed it threw the neck with her sword before yanking it out. Esmeray grabbed its mask and ripped it off with a great tug.

It collapsed into dust.

"Holy shit." Liam whispered.

"Language." Chris said and the teenagers burst into laughter.

When Scott came out, he grinned at the sight and then hugged Liam so hard, the boy nearly had one of his ribs broken.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

It was the morning of the PSAT's, and Esmeray waited for Isaac in the kitchen, drinking a mug of wild purple reishi mushroom tea, which she usually drank before tests or exams. Deaton had joked it was her 'lucky drink' back when she was living with him.

She hoped it would bring her luck, since the last third of the Deadpool had unveiled that she, Isaac, her dad, and Boyd were all on the list. She was a grand total of twenty two million, Isaac was a whopping twelve million, Boyd was worth thirteen million, and her dad was an eye raising sixteen million.

Stiles had cracked a joke that the reason Peter was worth so much was because he was so hard to keep dead. Her dad had actually laughed while Chris had looked incredibly done, and worried.

She knew it was because she and Peter where all he had left, so Chris had upgraded the security of the apartment that she, Isaac, and her dad resided in.

Malia was on the final third of the list, and registered as Malia Hale. Esmeray knew it was a matter of time before her half sister learned of her parentage, and the ravenette wanted to tell the werecoyote now before she found out on her own.

Isaac skidded into the room, getting his last shoe on. Peter entered the room. "You two really going to the PSAT?" he asked.

"Yes." Esmeray and Isaac said at the same time. "Why not? We can be normal teenagers for once." Isaac said.

"Normal is overrated." Esmeray said, getting up and hiding for the door, twirling her car keys around her fingers.

Peter sighed. "Okay, it's just with the Deadpool out, I have a feeling something bad is going to happen."

"Thank you, Dad, for jinxing us." Isaac said straight faced.

"We'll be okay!" Esmeray promised, slipping out the door with Isaac on her heels.

Esmeray stood with Scott, Stiles, Boyd, Isaac, Kira, and Malia in line for the PSAT. She didn't have to do it, but it would be good practice for the SAT and ACT she would have to take the next year when she was a senior.

"Where's Lydia?" Kira asked.

"She took it when she was a freshman." Esmeray explained.

Malia gave her a surprised look. "Does that mean I could have taken it some other time?"

She put a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "Malia, you studied harder than anyone in this group for the PSAT. You'll do great."

Malia took a breath and visibly calmed down. "Thank you, Esme."

"Anytime." the Hale girl promised.

"You and your magic touch." Boyd teased.

"Magic touch that's helped save our asses from wolfing out." Isaac said.

"Something I deeply appreciate." Stiles, the sole human, added.

"It's only three hours. We can survive three hours." Kira said with an optimistic smile.

"You just had to say the words." Isaac lamented. "We're doomed. We're absolutely doomed."

Stiles nodded in agreement, causing Esmeray to share an exasperated look with Scott.

Esmeray and Boyd were sent to a different room than the rest of the pack, which upset them all. A split pack meant the pack was weaker, more vulnerable to an attack.

The teachers supervising their room were Mrs.Norris and Mr.Rossi, an Italian American man who replaced Mr.Jones, the band teacher murdered by the Darach the previous semester.

Phones were taken, people checked in, and the test began.

Halfway through, a sour smell hit Esmeray's nose. She glanced at Boyd, who gave a subtle nod: he had smelled it too.

There was shouting from the hallway. "Get back! No! Do not come in here! Get back outside!" Mrs.Martin screamed.

Surprised looks were exchanged and it was enough that most of her classmates got out of their seats to investigate the noise. Esmeray followed, seeing the others class do the same.

Mrs.Martin stood there, fear and anxiety coming off her so strong it nearly overwhelmed her heightened senses. "Back to your seats! Now. Please."

Esmeray threw a look at Scott and Stiles. We jinxed it. Stiles wordlessly conveyed and she nodded before going back to her room.

She heard Mrs.Martin call for the CDC and she closed her eyes, praying to the moon goddess her pack escaped this new life and death scenario unscathed.

The test was canceled and Esmeray bounced her leg as she sat at her desk, her inner wolf screaming at her to grab Boyd and go join the rest of the class.

"I hate this." Boyd muttered, plopping down into the seat next to her.

"Everyone in this building hates this." the evolved werewolf pointed out.

Boyd nodded in agreement. "Smallpox was eradicated in 1979. It can't be that."

"Maybe something new." another student, whom she recognized from her art class as Julian, suggested fearfully.

"Could be a false alarm." another girl piped up.

"We just have to wait, everyone." Mrs.Norris said firmly. "The CDC is here, and they're experts on this."

Mr.Jones spoke up. "No one is dying today. We're in good hands."

Boyd and Esmeray exchanged a look.

The man just had to tempt fate.

Their class was called for blood samples before being sent back to their room. Esmeray's head snapped up when she heard Scott roar and pain flood their mating bond, swaying on her feet. Boyd quickly grabbed her arm, steadying her.

"Thanks." she whispered. "It's Scott."

"We need to go find him." Boyd murmured. "And the others."

She nodded in agreement and walked over to Mrs.Norris and Mr.Jones. "Can we use the bathroom."

"Be quick." Mrs.Norris said. She and Boyd nodded before exiting the room, and hurrying down the halls. Esmeray lead the way, following her bond with Scott.

He was in the locker room. She rushed to his side while sending a message down her pack bonds, sending out their location. Mr.Yukimura stumbled onto them a moment later.

"Isaac and Malia." Scott gasped. "They aren't looking too good either."

"I'll get them." the older man said and hurried out.

"When did this start?" she asked Scott, taking his hand and absorbing his pain.

"A while again. I didn't think it would be this bad." Scott answered, leaning into her touch. HIs eyes were flickering between their Alpha red and his human brown.

The rest of the pack rushed into the room. Malia was incredibly pale while Isaac needed Boyd's support with how hard he was shaking. Malia's claws were out, and Isaac's eyes were also flickering between blue and gold.

Mr.Yukimura spoke grimly. "Obviously, the virus is affecting the two of you in a way it won't hit any human being."

"You guys have to stay out of sight," Stiles agreed. "We have to quarantine you from the quarantine."

"Yeah, but where? I mean, what if they get violent, like on a full moon?" Kira pointed out.

"The Vault." Esmeray murmured. "We can go to the vault. There's a second entrance."

They got up, ready to go when Stiles stumbled. Esmeray's fast reflexes caught him and steadied him. "Thank you, Esmeray."

A spark of realization flashed in Mr.Yukimura's eyes. "It's happening to you too. You're getting sick. You all are."

"I don't feel sick." Kira objected.

"Same, for both Esme and myself." Boyd agreed.

"I think it's affecting you differently. Neurologically." the older man explained. He pulled out Kira's test. "I found your test answers here in a pile with the others."

On the test, none of the bubbles had been filled in. Colored circles dotted the page but not in the bubbles.

"Boyd and I aren't sick." Esmeray pointed out. "Which means that this sickness, it's only affecting people who were taking the test in Isaac, Stiles, Malia, Scott, and Kira's class. This isn't a sickness, it's another assassination attempt."

Stiles spoke. "We need to get to the vault. Now."

Esmeray lead the way down to the basement, shoving the cart in front of the entrance aside. She unsheathed her claws before putting them into the divots of the stone, blue and green light appearing before it sunk into the wall, turning around. As she dropped her hand, the wall opened.

Esmeray helped Malia into the vault. Her werecoyote sister was weak and sweating profusely. She absorbed some of Malia's pain, getting a small smile from the other girl.

Kira looked around while the others found places to sit. Esmeray looked around, hoping this wouldn't be the place where she lost her pack: again.

After a while, Stiles spoke. "You know, this is where it all started. That's where the money was. One hundred and eighty million in bearer bonds."

Esmeray looked up, her eyes narrowing.

"How do you even change bearer bonds into cash?" Kira wondered.

Stiles shrugged. "Bank, I guess. They just let it sit here the whole time, collecting dust. You know bearer bonds are basically extinct?"

"It was back up money, Stiles." Esmeray said angrily. "It was suppose to collect dust so no one in my family would have to use it."

"Why not?" Stiles asked, angrily. And Esmeray realized that the money could fix the Stilinski's financial burdens, and Scott's too, when her gaze flickered over to her mate.

"Because the Hale House Fire wasn't the first time a group of Hunters tried to kill my family, it was just the first that succeeded." she said bitterly.

There was a deep silence. Scott took her hand, offering her a comforting smile. She smiled back, absorbing some of his pain.

"What happened?" Kira asked.

She sighed. "In 1688, the Hale pack moved from England to Boston. They had lost everything to a small army of Hunters back in their previous home in England, those hunters killed seventy five precent of the pack. My ancestors had nothing but the clothes on our backs when they landed in Boston, so did the survivors of their pack. They settled down, rebuilt their wealth and pack, and learned from the past by setting aside back up money in case they ever had to run again. In autumn of 1835 a group of Hunters tried to burn down the mansion, but my ancestors were luckier this time. Alpha Eleanor Hale had been tipped off by a sympathetic human and she was able to move her family and the pack out of the house, grab all of the family wealth, and she used the back up money to purchase supplies to head out west."

Isaac leaned forward. She let her brother take over, this part was town history. "'After months of travel on her way west, Eleanor Hale, the matriarch of the Hale family, came upon the small village of Beacon Hills, and used her wealth to build the village into a profitable town.'" he said, quoting the history books.

"And history repeated: we set aside back up money in case we needed to run again." Esmeray said, looking at Stiles. "That's why we left the money here in the vault."

"Oh," Stiles said. "I'm sorry, I didn't think about it."

"It's okay." Esmeray said. "But if you guys need help, I'm happy to help. Dad won't mind, he just donates to random charities every other month."

"Your dad owns the apartment building you guys live in, right?" Boyd asked.

"He bought it and the building across from it." Isaac corrected. "He's planning to start his own company when he's ready."

"First step: take over the apartment building market." Scott joked. "Next step: world domination."

They all laughed.

Stiles was forced to leave an hour later, and Esmeray and Boyd moved between offering the others water and taking their pain.

"You're scared." Scott whispered to her when she was sitting next to him.

She didn't try to lie. "I can't lose you guys, I can't lose my pack again." she confessed.

He squeezed her hand. "You won't loose me, you won't loose any of us."

She let out a shaky laugh. "How can you be sure of that."

"Because I have all of my pack with me." Scott responded. "I have you."

She smiled faintly. "I love you, Scott."

"I love you too, Esme."

Malia panicked fifteen minutes later, unable to see. Isaac confirmed the same thing, as did Kira and Scott.

"Fuck." Esmeray whispered.

"Scott?" she heard Stiles say. She rushed to the wall. "Esme, Scott, Boyd, Isaac, Malia, if you can hear me, then listen now: the antidote's in the vault! It's reishi mushrooms!"

"I know where that is!" she yelled through the wall and sprinted for the shelf that housed the mushrooms. She threw it to the floor, and the fumes quickly healed her pack.

Boyd opened the door, letting in Agent McCall and Stiles. The older McCall ran to his son's side, while Isaac hurried to Malia. Stiles joined her side, looking relieved. Isaac stumbled over to Malia.

"For once, I'm not the one who narrowly escaped death." Boyd joked weakly as he helped Kira to her feet, referencing when Derek had been forced to stab him thanks to Kali and the twins.

He yelped when Kira elbowed him and Esmeray looked away before the couple could kiss. Malia walked over to her and held out a piece of paper.

Esmeray glanced at the paper, which had Malia's name on it. Her real name.

"Did you know?" Malia asked. "Isaac knew."

Esmeray nodded. "I did. I... I just didn't know how to tell you, neither did Dad. We didn't think it was safe."

Malia shook her head and walked out of the vault.

The evolved werewolf sent an apology down her bond with Malia, but was ignored.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"Is three enough?"

Esmeray looked up from where she had been fiddling with a ring behind the kitchen counter when she heard Kira's question. Liam, Stiles, and Kira had all brought their laptops to Scott's house, in order to set the plan the True Alpha had made to try and capture the Benefactor in motion.

Which involved laptops to hack the hospital's cameras, the pack patrolling the hallways of the hospital, and Scott being put into a near death state that could potentially permanently kill him.

A plan Esmeray despised and she knew that the other werewolves could hear her racing pulse and smell her anxiety/fear. She knew by their reactions it was affecting them and by side affect, Kira and Stiles, as she was the member of the pack who was the calm one in the crazy plans they regularly executed.

Scott sent a pulse of calm-determination down their bond but it didn't calm her down the least.

"Depends on how many cameras they have... But I think so." Stiles answered.

She felt Liam glance her way. "Are we really doing this?" the youngest member of the McCall pack asked, voicing her thoughts.

"We're doing it," Scott answered. "Tonight."

"But isn't it kind of dangerous...?" the Beta asked.

"You bet your ass it is." Esmeray said, trying to appear calm but failing miserably.

Liam waved an arm in her direction as if to declare 'Look! She agrees with me!'

"It is dangerous." Scott said. "But it's a shot to find out the Benefactor and stop them, for good."

"Or we just counter hack them." the Hale girl desperately suggested. She would take damn near anything then risking her mate die.

"We tried that already." Boyd said apologetically.

Nobody told me that. Esmeray realized, stunned. She shot a look in Scott's direction and he gave her an apologetic look.

Stiles spoke up. "If we do this, we don't know what's coming for us. So if you want to back out, back out now."

"Hell no." Isaac said. "We're pack, we're sticking together."

Boyd nodded. "No one gets left behind."

"Pack sticks together." Liam added.

Esmeray spoke when they all turned to her. "If we're doing this, there we're doing it together."

Scott looked a bit more confident.

"I agree with you guys, but how do we know something's definitely coming?" Kira pointed out.

"Because the tape from Garrett's bag said 'visual confirmation required.'" Scott informed her. Stiles added his own piece. "Simon said the same thing, he couldn't get paid by the Benefactor until he had proof that you guys were dead."

She figured out the plan swiftly. "So, the plan is to put you in a death like state and claim you're dead, but not send the proof to see what happens. Because the Benefactor will want to know that you're dead. Which means they'll have come to the hospital."

Scott nodded. "Exactly."

"Then let's get ready." the evolved werewolf responded.

When Noshiko arrived, Esmeray retreated to the porch, sitting on the steps and burying her face in her hands. Stiles followed her out, sitting next to her.

"This is going to work." Stiles said.

"You don't know that." she said, looking at him.

"I know it will." Stiles insisted. "If it's anyone who can survive this, it's Scott. Because he'll have you too come back to."

She raised an eyebrow. "He has you and his mom as well. You're basically his brother."

"Yeah, but you're the love of his life. He looks at you differently than he did at Allison." Stiles insisted. "You helped him, both of us, through the early stages of being a werewolf. I think that was when he fell for you. Because you showed him kindness and understanding of what he was going through. You understand him better than other girls can."

She smiled. "Was that you're 'I approve if your future marriage speech'?"

"Yeah. I also expect to be the godfather of your kids."

Scott's whisper hit her ears. "Tell him he's my brother, and he's going to be the best man at the wedding."

Esmeray smiled. "Scott says you're his brother and his future best man."

Stiles grinned brightly. "Well, Scott, you better come back. Because Lydia's already planned the wedding and I will hide the body if she kills you because you don't come back."

The laughter and hope turned to guilt when she heard Melissa's heartbroken screams of utter anguish.

Stiles brought Melissa to Scott and quietly filled her in on the situation.

Melissa spoke, gazing at Scott's still figure. "I still hate this plan. I mean, this is pretty significantly terrifying— he looks dead."

Esmeray flinched at that. Stiles squeezed her hand in comfort.

Noshiko spoke. "Give me your hand."

Melissa looked at her and Stiles. "It's okay." Stiles said.

Noshiko placed Melissa's hand on Scott's heart. "Wait for it..."

The Hale girl let out a relieved sigh when she heard the thump-thump of Scott's heart.

"Is that enough to keep a Werewolf alive?" Melissa asked.

Esmeray spoke. "It's enough for an Alpha."

Melissa nodded. "How much time do we have?"

"Forty-five minutes." Noshiko answered.

Melissa questioned even further. "What happens after that?"

"I bring him back the same way." Kira answered.

Melissa shook her head. "No, I mean, what happens if he stays like this longer than forty-five minutes?"

Esmeray swallowed thickly. "Then he dies, permanently."

Everyone separated to their assignments: Noshiko and Melissa would watch the parking lot, Boyd, Stiles, Kira, and Liam would monitor the cameras, and Esmeray found herself patrolling the hallways with Chris.

They fell into an uncomfortable silence as they walked through the halls before Chris broke it. "So, Scott's your mate?"

She tensed, looking around. No one was there to have overheard him, thankfully.

"Yeah. Did Dad tell you?" she asked. Isaac had snitched on her relationship upgrade to Peter—because there was apparently an entire betting pool about her and Scott and her father had assured her he had figured it out long ago.

"No, but he looks at you..." Chris trailed off, a bittersweet smile forming on his face as regret came rolling off of him "The way Peter used to look at me."

She nodded awkwardly. "So, are you two back together?"

Chris ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "I... I don't know. That's Peter's call, after what I did to him."

"Did you mean it?" Esmeray blurted out, cursing herself internally the second the words were spoken.

"No."

She blinked. "Does Dad know?"

Chris groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "No, no he doesn't."

"Then tell him." she said. "But if you hurt him again, I will kill you. And Isaac will help me hide the body."

Esmeray froze the moment she heard the rattling of bones. "Shit." she cursed and the lights went out.

Chris drew his gun. "What is it?"

A Berserker rounded the corner, turning to face them. And she could hear the click-click of a set of women's boots.

Kate. she thought, her inner wolf snarling.

"Run!" she yelled, grabbing his arm and fleeing.

They almost made it to the morgue when the Berserker chasing them grabbing them both and threw both her and Chris threw the doors. Esmeray grunted and scrambled back to her feet, hauling Chris to his feet as well.

"It's the bitch!" she snarled at Isaac and Stiles's confused looks.

"Get out of here, run!" Chris yelled.

Kate stalked through the double doors. Esmeray saw Stiles press his body against Scott's container.

Kate smirked cruely. "Get out of the way, Stiles. I'm taking the body."

"Why?" Isaac asked, stepping in front of Stiles. "Do you need some visual confirmation?"

"Don't worry, handsome, I'm not the Benefactor." Kate assured.

"You're not taking him." Esmeray snarled, shifting into her werewolf form.

Kate bared her fangs. "Ah, if it isn't the abomination."

"That's a fucking complement." Esmeray hissed. "How good is your control? You might be the animal personification of a sociopathic murderous bitch, you might enjoy your power," she shifted back to her human form, stalking forward. "But deep down you hate who you are."

Kate snarled.

Esmeray smiled coldly. "Are you doing this for Gerard? To get his love back? You can try but he will always hate you because you're the very thing he hates: a were creature. Do you know he wanted to be an Alpha?" she stepped forward. "You might claim to be Hunters and going by the Code, but at the end of the day you're both hypocrites."

Kate lunged, claws and fangs bared, but Esmeray had years worth of experience over Kate. She dodged and grabbed Kate's arm, throwing her into the wall.

Chris surged forward, grabbing her and pinning her to the wall, a gun at her jaw. Kate grinned. "I always forget you carry two."

"Back off!" the human snarled.

"You sure you can pull the trigger fast enough?" Kate mocked. "I don't want to." Chris snapped.

Kate just looked at him. "You're not going to kill me."

"I know several people who want to kill you." the evolved werewolf quipped.

"Listen to me, Kate," Chris said. "We have a plan."

Kate glanced in Stiles's direction. "If killing Scott was part of it, you're worse than me."

"Unlike you, we don't backstab our own." Isaac shot back.

"Argent's telling the truth," Stiles joined, "We're trying to get to the Benefactor."

"If you didn't notice, you're on that list, too and you're worth more than most." Chris pointed out.

"I know what I can do with eight million." Isaac said. "You hurt my sister and my dad. I'll be happy to do the deed."

"Back off and let us do what we planned." Chris said, and Esmeray glanced at his watch. They had very little time left. "Take the Berserkers and go."

Kate looked unmoved.

Chris tried again. "Kate, please. We have a plan."

The Huntress turned werejaguar nodded slowly and left the room. Her roar came seconds later.

Kira woke up Scott and the moment her boyfriend had air in his lungs she kissed him.

Then she pulled back and slapped him. "Don't you dare do that again." she snarled.

Scott smiled weakly. "I won't."

"Well, this was for nothing." Liam groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Actually, I have an idea." Scott said. "No one came here, but they did know I wasn't dead."

Esmeray quickly realized what her boyfriend meant.

"A banshee." Boyd said, sitting up straighter. "The Benefactor is a Banshee."

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Two days passed over the hospital incident, and everything went quiet for a time.

With Isaac's birthday coming up, the Hale girl found herself at a random grocery store the next town over to purchase ingredients to make his favorite dinner.

Esmeray smiled at the cashier. "Thank you." she said, paying for the groceries.

"You're welcome." the cashier, a woman named Linda according to the name tag, said. "Oh! Before you go: I don't see someone enter here at 6 in the morning looking as determined as you did. May I ask why?"

Esmeray grinned a little brighter. "My brother's birthday is in a few weeks. I wanted to make him his favorite dinner."

Isaac was also as much of a cooker as she was, and they both knew the same grocery store like the back of their hand. Which meant they knew a lot of the staff members, who could inadvertently slip Esmeray's plan to her brother. So she had driven out to the next town over to get the supplies she needed.

Linda smiled. "Good luck."

"Thank you." the evolved werewolf said. She took the bags of groceries and left the shop, heading for her car. She put the groceries in the trunk and drove off.

She was half a mile away from Beacon Hills when a gunshot rang out and she swerved, shrieking in surprise. She stopped the car, got out, and flared her wolf eyes, scanning the darkness. A second shot rang out and she screamed in pain as it tore through her shoulder. She saw something roll her way and she ducked behind her car.

A bang went off, throwing her car over her and it landed with a hard thud. She scrambled behind it and she looked over it to see a figure approach her. Esmeray unsheathed her claws and got ready.

The figure jumped on to the back of her car and she lunged upwards, tackling them off her car. Her shoulder screamed in protest but she ignored it, her claws swiping at the mask. The figure grunted and shot their gun at her, this time grazing her leg. It didn't break the skin but it tore her jeans.

Snarling and baring her fangs, she grabbed the gun and slammed it into the figure's head. The figure went limp underneath her and Esmeray focused her hearing on the figure. She sighed in relief when she heard the still beating heart.

She pulled out her phone and called the Sheriff's office.

"911 what's your emergency?" the voice of one of the deputies, the new redheaded office, answered.

"This is Esmeray Hale," she said, her voice shaking. "And someone just tried to kill me."

She was surprised with how many officers appeared at the scene. She leaned against her car, leaning against her dad as she explained the story to the Sheriff.

She was so glad it was a Saturday.

"They shot at me while I was driving back home," she explained. "I swerved but I was able to stop the car. I got out to investigate the damage and call you but she shot me again," she gestured to her leg. "It didn't hit anything and then they threw a grenade. I got behind the car, which took the brunt of it. Then they came at me personally. I tackled them off the car and I grabbed their gun. I knocked them out with it."

The FBI agent that replaced Agent McCall came over. "Well, you got lucky tonight, Miss Hale. The assassin that went after you? She's called the Shrike, and we have her in over two dozen murder cases in the past decade alone."

"I don't want to see her again." Esmeray said, shifting on her feet. "Can I go home now?"

"You're gonna have to testify in court." the Agent said, sounding sympathetic. "But if you do, we can get her in jail permanently."

"I'll drive you back once we're done here." Noah promised. "Thank you." Esmeray said.

After everything was wrapped up, Noah did drive her back home. Peter was there, pale as the moon.

Esmeray was out the door before the police car stopped and threw herself into his arms.

She slept until noon, then spent the next two hours assuring everyone she was fine and alive.

Dark Moon: So, as a recap: I am not dead, the Shrike is in FBI super jail, I might have to go to court to testify against her. And no, Kira, I don't want roses on my grave, I would prefer camellias and irises, specifically the blue irises, those are my favorite flowers.

Wild Coyote laughed at 'FBI super jail'

Werewolf Captain America: 'FBI super jail.' I'm telling my dad that.

Dark Moon: Even if he disapproves, that won't stop me from marrying you.

The Brains: Scott just turned red and nearly fainted. Don't worry, I've taken a picture of it.

Scream Queen: I'm already planning the wedding, can I be the Best Maid?

Werewolf Captain America: That's a little too soon on planning, Lydia.

Dark Moon: You earned the right to be my Best Maid the moment you became my best friend Lyds!

Zap Zap: Boyd, do you want a summer or fall wedding?

Quiet But Deadly: I'm down with either

Blondie: I'm feeling painfully single right now.

The Brains: I'm sure Malia can help you with that!

Esmeray heard a loud thud from Isaac's room.

Dark Moon: He just fell from his bed.

Quiet But Deadly: Wait, is Peter walking you down the aisle or is Chris also walking you down the aisle?

The Brains: I'm pretty sure it's Peter.

Scream Queen: I'm pretty sure it's Peter too. He won't miss it for the world.

Werewolf Captain America: Could be both!

Zap Zap: What do you mean???

Esmeray grimaced and quickly summarized how she had been conceived and her dual fathers to Kira through text

Werewolf Captain America: That really explains the story Deaton told me when I was fourteen, he said that he helped a pregnant wolf give birth in his clinic. I thought he was screwing with me since there weren't any *normal* wolves in the region.

The Brains: To be fair, none of us outside Lydia and Esme knew that werewolves where real.

Blondie: Despite everything, I'm really glad I choose the bite. I wouldn't have you guys.

Esmeray smiled and sent a wave of love-affection to her brother. He returned it as well and she smiled.

Dark Moon: I got homework like the rest of you guys. See you at school tomorrow or sooner.

The rest of the pack sent back confirmations and agreements. She grabbed her homework from her desk and moved to the dinning table, Isaac quickly joining her.

The rest of the day past quietly, her and Isaac tending to their homework.

It shattered when Scott called her, as there was yet another assassination attempt.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray studied the right hand of the redheaded deputy, Jordan Parrish, intently. Peter studied the man's left hand.

Peter let go of the hand and Esmeray took her cue, backing away. Her father looked at the nervous looking officer. "You should be dead."

"That's already established when I survived being burned alive!" the officer snapped.

Esmeray stiffened, the red burn scars on her back, her neck, and the palms of her hand feeling like they where burning. She took a step closer to her father, standing behind him as she placed her hand on her father's shoulder.

I'm here, I'm alive. she wordlessly conveyed, leaning into his touch just as much as he leaned into hers. A reminder that they had survived, that they where alive and standing despite all the obstacles that stood in their way.

The room was quiet when she and Peter came back to reality.

"We don't use the 'burned alive' phrase here." Derek said firmly.

"Not after the fire." Peter agreed, rolling his shoulders. "But like I said, you should be dead. I don't know any supernatural species other than Fire Kitsune that can survive being... well," he gestured to Parrish, conveying the last bit of the sentence.

Esmeray narrowed her eyes on Parrish, remembering her earlier encounter with him. She took a breathe, focusing her sense of smell on the deputy's scent.

It was just like when she had first smelled it: double layered. The first layer of the scent was orange, ginger, and clove, but underneath it, it was fire, shadows, embers, and death.

Just like Stiles's when he was possessed by the Nogitsune.

"Can you smell that?" she asked her father, letting go of his shoulder to stand next to him.

"Smell what?" Parrish asked, confusion visible on his face.

"What is it, Esme?" Scott asked, walking over to her.

She turned to the deputy. "Your scent as two layers. It's like Stiles's when he was possessed. That means you have something inside of you."

Everyone tensed.

"Is it a Nogitsune?" Derek asked warily.

"No." she told her cousin. "No, the Nogitsune's scent was different, it was salt, blood, and some kind of mist at night. The second layer is fire, shadows, embers..." she trailed off "And death."

"I couldn't pick that up." Isaac muttered. "I just smelled, according, to you, his first layer."

Lydia cleared her throat. "I have an idea on the Benefactor. My grandmother knew Meredith."

They all turned to her.

Derek spoke first. "How did your grandmother know her?"

"She didn't... She found her... Because of another woman named Maddy, the woman she loved." The strawberry blonde pulled out a photo of two women. The two women were smiling brightly, looking so happy to be with each other. "I never met her, but I saw her name everywhere. She used to be part of a yacht racing team. There were plaques and trophies in the lake house from all the regattas she'd won."

"So, how did she die?" Isaac asked.

Lydia shook her head."'How's' not the story... It's what happened right before. My grandmother, Lorraine, used to work in San Francisco for IBM. She was there on a weekend, catching up on work. She started hearing this sound, like rain. But, when she looked out the windows... All she saw was blue sky.

Esmeray realized what her friend meant. "But it didn't stop, didn't it? Your grandmother, she kept hearing the rain."

The banshee nodded. "And it just kept getting louder. Rain and thunder, cracking like gunshots in her head... so loud, she finally just... screamed."

Peter made a noise in the back of his throat. "Like a Banshee. I knew you where one, I just didn't know if you got it from your mother or your father. It makes since now: The sons of Banshee's can pass the ability to their daughters, despite not being able to access it."

Lydia looked curious. "I would like to read more about that. But anyways, she called Maddy, who was planning on taking one of the boats out on the lake... But Maddy said that the sun was shining there, too... So, Lorraine didn't say anything."

Parrish cleared his throat. "There was an accident?"

"It took them four days to find Maddy's body, and then it took decades to figure out how Lorraine knew." Lydia explained. "She started with parapsychologists— like the Ph.D in their name made it more scientific. They built the study in the lake house according to every pseudoscientific theory they could find. None of it worked. So then, she started going to more extreme occult: things like mediums and psychics, all of them failures. Until she found Meredith. They found her in Eichen House. this fragile girl who didn't understand the things she heard. They brought her to the study and they almost killed her. She was hospitalized for over a year. She... never really recovered."

Her best friend looked heartbroken. "My grandmother drove her insane. I drove her to suicide. And all she ever wanted to do was help. My grandmother created the code for the Deadpool. They think she's the Banshee who put the names out in the first place." Lydia held up a piece of paper. "She left me this message in the same code."

Isaac leaned forward from his chair, hands resting on his knees. "But she didn't leave you the cipher key, didn't she?"

"No." Lydia said. "But I think this has to do something with the Deadpool."

Esmeray walked Scott back down to his bike. "Did the money help?" she asked her mate.

Scott smiled. "Yeah, it helped a lot. Mom adores you and your dad now. Stiles said that his dad finally went to bed at a decent hour now that he paid off all the debts."

Esmeray smiled relieved. "That's good. Pack helps each other."

Scott nodded, though he looked a little nervous. The ravenette noticed it but she didn't say anything.

Scott would tell her when he was ready to tell her.

The next day at school, she had just exited her Government class for lunch when Liam ran over to her. Before he even got close she could tell something was wrong.

"Nightmares?" she asked him once he reached her.

Liam blinked. "How did you know?"

She just shrugged. "You just looked like you where having some bad ones, like me when I had nightmares about the fire." she saw a hesitant look on his face. "You don't have to tell me, but if you want to, you can talk to me or anyone else in the pack."

"You should be a psychologist, I wish you where mine." Liam said. "No judgement, just understanding. That's all I want."

Esmeray paused, thinking about what he said. "Maybe." she agreed and quickly read his body language. He was still tense and nervous, upset. "But what's wrong, Liam?"

He pulled out a piece of paper and showed her it. Her heart sank when she saw the paper: it was a list of the Deadpool, the deceased's names crossed out. She then noticed that Derek was gone, and Liam was now worth $18 million dollars.

She pulled Liam into a spare room. "How did you get this?" she asked.

"It was last night. My printer just went off randomly and it didn't stop even when I hit the cancel button." Liam explained.

Scott, Boyd, and Kira burst into the room and Esmeray nodded grimly, holding up the list.

"It explains how the dude who tried to killed Parrish got the list." Scott said.

The lacrosse bonfire, it seemed, was still going to happen.

Esmeray grimaced when she saw the massive fire. Scott squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I won't let it hurt you." he promised and she smiled, kissing him softly. "My knight in shining armor." she said with a soft smile.

He gave a mock bow. "At your service."

She turned to the scene, seeing the partying teenagers dancing everywhere. Boyd and Kira where dancing in a quiet corner. She spotted Isaac at the snack table.

"We can't get drunk," Esmeray said, turning back to her boyfriend. "But we can be normal teenagers for a bit. Wanna dance?"

Scott gave her a grin. It was a small half mouthed one, indicating he knew she was trying to make him less nervous but still fond. "Sure."

They fell into the crowd, dancing to the beat of the music. How long they where like that she didn't know but then Scott stopped. Confused, she did the same.

"Malia's here." he said and she turned around, following his gaze. She narrowed her eyes but she could see the dancing form of her half sister. Isaac was already walking over.

"Come on." she murmured and wove through the crowd to Malia. Scott followed.

"—drunk! What are you doing?" Malia said to Isaac.

"Keeping an eye on things." Isaac responded.

Scott spoke up. "Making sure no one gets hurt."

Esmeray hurried to Malia, though she hesitated. Malia swayed on her feet and Esmeray quickly steadied her. "Malia, you can't get drunk. Our healing prevents that."

Malia pointed to Liam. "You should tell him that."

It didn't come out right, slurred and glassy eyed. Esmeray frowned and glanced at Isaac, who was looking nauseous.

She looked at Scott. "Something's wrong."

"Yeah, come on." he said, taking Isaac's arm. Esmeray guided Malia to the table where Liam was, who also looked drunk.

But we can't get drunk. Esmeray worried.

She placed down Malia, with Scott putting Isaac next to the were coyote.

Liam dry heaved but didn't puke.

"How much did he drink?" Esmeray asked, rubbing his back.

"Not enough to get him like this..." Mason said.

Esmeray blinked, suddenly feeling dizzy. She bit her tongue, trying to steady herself but it didn't go away, and a ringing invaded her ears. The Hale girl glanced in the direction of the DJ, focusing all her will into her eyesight to see him mess with the board. Suddenly the ringing got louder and she swayed on her feet, almost falling over. She felt Mason grab her arm and he was duplicated against her irises.

"How much did you guys drink?" Mason asked. She sensed Scott leave and she guessed he had come to the same realization as her. "Guys, what's going on?"

"Scott and I didn't have a sip. Explain later." she said, hearing her words slur. She smelled Kira's scent. "The security guards took Boyd!" the Kitsune said. "He was acting weird, what's happening."

She forced herself to stay awake as the music chipped away at her. She almost buckled over but Kira grabbed her and pulled her back to her feet. "It's the music, it's messing with us—"

Two people grabbed her arms and yanked her away. She hissed and struggled, hearing the man who had grabbed her have an exchange with Mason and Kira before dragging her threw the crowd and into the school.

She saw Isaac, Liam, Boyd, and Malia's crumpled bodies and she was tossed next to them, Scott joining her not a second later.

A man towered over her and Scott with a menacing smirk.

"What is that?" Scott asked. "What are you doing?"

"It's gasoline. Haigh says we gotta burn you." the man said.

The music was muffled in the school, giving her the clarity she needed to realize that it was another assassination attempt. And that she was going to be burned alive, like her family before her. Isaac was going to burn— Boyd, Malia, Liam, Scott, they where all going to burn alive.

She glared at him. "Fuck you." she hissed.

The man sneered at her and splattered the gasoline all over her, then Scott, Boyd, Malia, Liam, and Isaac.

He knelt in front of her and turned on the lighter. "You see this Hale? I'm going to burn you like your pathetic family before you."

"Don't fucking touch her." Scott snarled, struggling.

The guard ignored him. "This time, though you aren't escaping."

Suddenly the music stopped.

The ringing in her ears stopped and everything was clear to her again. Esmeray grabbed the lighter and closed it, her eyes burning gold. She slammed her foot into the man's face, sending him flying into the lockers. She heard several of his bones snap and she smiled.

The doors burst open and she saw her father, Chris, Derek and Braeden run into the school.

Her father lunged at two of the security guard-assassin's, ripping out one's throat with his claws and snapping the neck of the second. Derek took on two as well while Chris shot the two more in the stomach's, leaving them to bleed out.

Scott pulled himself to his feet and helped her up. Isaac, Malia, Boyd, and Liam all got to their feet as Braeden took down the final guard/assassin.

"So you can win a fight." Isaac teased Derek.

Peter grabbed him, grabbed Malia, walked over to her, and pulled all of them into a hug, holding them so tight she felt her ribs ache for a moment. She returned it, holding all three close.

She looked over his shoulder to Chris. 'Thank you' she mouthed.

Suddenly Scott's phone went off. He pulled it out and frowned.

"Oh no, I don't like that look on your face." Boyd groaned.

Esmeray was released her father's hug and turned to her mate. "Scott, what's wrong?"

"It's Stiles." Scott said. "They where at the Eichen House, and Brunski tried to kill them. Parrish saved them. Lydia's at the hospital and Stiles is at the hospital with a concussion, but—" he paused. "They figured out who the Benefactor is. It's Meredith."

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray entered the Sheriff's station, seeing Lydia. "I heard what happened." she said, walking over to the strawberry blonde.

Lydia let out a shaken noise. "I spent years thinking Grandma committed suicide. But it turns out she was murdered by some psychopathic freak."

Esmeray sat down next to her, pulling her into a one armed hug, glancing back at Meredith. "Has she talked?"

"No." Lydia said. "And I'm not leaving until she does."

They stayed like that for a few minutes in a comfortable silence, until she felt the tug on her pack bonds in her gut. "I gotta go." she said. Lydia nodded. "I know. I'l try to stop this."

"Heroes come in all seizes." Esmeray said, quoting George Lucas. Lydia let out a small laugh and smiled. Esmeray hugged her one more before leaving the station. She drove to the hospital, heading to the front desk. "What room is Stiles Stilinski at?" she asked.

The receptionist, a pretty young woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes, looked up. "Room 118." she said.

"Thank you." Esmeray said and headed to the room, opening the door to see Stiles, who looked up. "Hey Sti." she said, the nickname slipping out.

"Esme." Stiles said with a grin. "It's good to see you."

"I heard what happened at Eichen. I wanted to check in on you and Lydia." she explained. She picked up Scott's cedar and lemon scent and she knew from that he had visited Stiles.

"Well, you're my second favorite visitor, along with Scott." Stiles quipped.

"I assume Lydia is your dream girl and favorite visitor still." she shot back with a teasing grin.

Stiles gave a small lovesick grin before it faded. "Yeah, but I think she sees me as a friend."

The Hale girl hummed. "That could change." she said encouragingly. "Look at me and Scott. It could happen for you and Lydia."

"Yeah, but you two are mates." Stiles retorted.

She rolled her eyes, remembering the day on the bus, when she realized her feelings for Scott. "I fell for Scott before I knew he was my mate."

Stiles hummed. "I've been in love with Lydia since third grade."

"I know." she said and Stiles gave her a confused look. "Chemosignals, remember? I could literally smell it off of you."

Stiles gave her a smile that practically screamed mischief. "While if you werewolves can do that, I'm surprised it took you and Scott so long to figure things out. Do you know how glad I am that you two are finally together?"

She blushed and shook her head. "Yeah, I am. Now, you want to binge Netflix with the pack once this is over?"

"Hell yes." Stiles answered before looking a bit somber. "This, do you think it's going to end?"

Esmeray knew what he was referencing. The chaos that had engulfed the town since her father woke up, that had been boiling since whoever chopped the Nemeton down.

"I've been reading up on the Nemeton. This should die down. And until it does, we'll get through it together. All of us. And we'll keep living, for Laura, Erika, Allison, and Aiden." she listed off quietly.

Stiles nodded. "You know what Isaac said in the group chat? That he was glad he accepted the bite, because that's how he meet us? I'm kinda glad I took Scott out into the woods tonight. We meet you, we got a lot of friendships out of that night. Bad stuff has happened yeah, but there's been a lot of good."

The black haired girl nodded. "You sound wise for once."

Stiles gave her a mock offended glared. "I am wise!"

"You're prone to using a baseball bat against supernaturals, according to Derek. A baseball bat, Stiles."

Esmeray stayed with Stiles until the early hours of morning, when her phone vibrated. Scott flashed on the caller ID.

She picked up immediately. "Hey Scott," she asked. "Is everything okay?"

"For now." Scott answered. "Kira, Boyd, and I took the surviving member's of Satomi's pack to the vet clinic after we saved them from a team of Hunters, but I don't think we can stay here for the night. I know where we can hide, but I need some help."

"What place are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Argent Arms International. It's big, it has a lot of hiding places in there, and it's at the outskirts of town." Scott replied.

The evolved werewolf ran a hand through her hair. "That should work." she agreed.

"Can you meet me there?" he asked.

Her gaze turned to Stiles, who nodded. I'm fine, go. his eyes conveyed.

She nodded. I'll keep him alive. she wordlessly responded.

"Yeah, I'll be there." she told her boyfriend.

She hung up and hugged Stiles, who hugged her back. "Get some rest." she said.

"Good luck." Stiles responded.

She nodded and left the room.

In her wolf form, she approached the warehouse. She padded into the warehouse, following the scents until she was in front of the group of survivors. Lorilee let out a soft squeak at the sight of her and she quickly shifted back into her human form, clothes intact, standing up, her heart falling at the sight before her.

Eight. Only eight members of Satomi's pack where still alive, out of the over one hundred that had once filled up the ranks, in addition to Boyd and Kira.

"This isn't all of us. Most of us have gotten away." Satomi answered, and Esmeray knew that the older Alpha had picked up her sadness. "We're the ones who haven't left you. We've tried."

Esmeray nodded. "Well, they haven't succeeded, so they're doing it very poorly."

That got some chuckles and Scott gave her a small smile.

"Okay, what's the plan?" she asked.

"We're going to set up a sentry system, try and dig up any security stuff that Argent mentioned he has here. Lay a few traps, try and wait out the assassins." Scott said.

Things where quiet for the next few hours and Scott pulled her into another room. "How are you doing?" he asked. "You almost got burned alive yesterday. Again."

She blew a piece of her hair out of her face. "I'm fine. A bit shaken, yeah, but I'm okay."

Scott kissed her forehead. She leaned into his touch reflexively, just enjoying his presence. "I'm glad you're okay." he mumbled.

Her thoughts returned to Stiles, and she texted Isaac

Dark Moon: Can you and Malia visit Stiles? He's in the hospital.

Isaac responded nearly immediately.

Brother Wolf: Of course

Malia responded shortly after.

Wild Coyote: Isaac says you want me and Isaac to visit Stiles. We will.

She sent back the same text to both of them.

Dark Moon: Thank you.

Two very familiar scents hit her nose and she turned around in that direction. A deep rumbling sounded and she ran forward, surging through the plastic sheets.

Brett stood before Chris and her father, fangs bared. Peter moved in front of Chris, fangs also coming out and blue eyes glowing. Chris also had his gun raised and pointed.

"Hey, hey, hey!" she barked, shoving herself in between them. "We're on the same side here! Brett, this is Chris. He's my other dad. Dad, Chris, this is Brett. He's a friend."

Brett backed down, but he still eyed Chris warily. In turn, her other father lowered his gun.

"This is his place." Scott added, walking forward. HIs voice was authoritative, his inner Alpha coming out slightly. "It's his."

Brett nodded slowly, returning to his pack mates.

"Esmeray, Scott, you should have called if you where both bringing guests." Chris said, turning to her and her boyfriend fully.

"I didn't have anywhere else to take them." Scott responded.

Esmeray sensed Satomi come forward and she turned to the Alpha. " I know this man," Satomi said. "He may not remember, but we've met before."

"You can trust him." Scott said.

The words where out of Esmeray's mouth before she could process them. "I trust him."

Chris turned to her in surprise, but she also felt the members of Satomi's pack fix their surprised gazes on her.

"He's one of the good ones." she pushed.

"How do we know he's not like the others?" Satomi inquired.

Surprise rippled off of Chris. "What others?"

Boyd held out an arrow. "And they where using crossbones."

Chris took the arrow, studying it.

"They're Hunters, aren't they?" Scott asked.

Chris's lips pulled back in disgust, turning to the werewolves. "Not if they're killing for profit. Not anymore."

Lorilee stepped forward. "Can they still find us?"

Chris nodded. "They might already know you're here. Maybe they're waiting for dark."

Kira looked crestfallen. "So we're not safe here."

"We are not safe anywhere." Satomi said. "We've been trying to get out for days. Everywhere we turn, we find someone new trying to kill us."

"If those Hunters are coming here." her dad spoke. "Then they're not just coming for you and your pack Satomi. They're coming for Scott, Esmeray, Boyd, Kira, and I. Some of the most profitable Deadpool people, all in one place."

"I know." Scott said.

Boyd nodded. "We won't go down fighting."

"Lydia's trying to talk to Meredith." Esmeray said. "She just needs more time."

"She doesn't have a lot left." Peter murmured.

Her phone rang fifteen minutes later. It was Lydia. "Meredith said she'll talk." the Banshee said. "But only to Peter."

Peter, who had heard it, raised an eyebrow. "I've never meet Meredith."

"Still." Lydia said. "Please come to the station."

Her father sighed. "I will."

He hugged her and she hugged him back and he left, but not before exchanging a look with Chris. Something that was definitely Not Just A Look Friends Exchange.

Esmeray had Questions. And she would get Answers.

Derek and Braeden joined them an hour later, setting up security. They had also brought guns.

She sensed Scott approach Derek and she turned to their conversation. Kira, Boyd, and Chris all joined her.

"They'll be okay." Scott said.

"They've got claws and fangs, but they're not fighters." her cousin responded.

"That's why I called you."

"Well, try to remember I don't have claws and fangs anymore, either."

"You'll get them back once the evolution is complete." Esmeray promised. "We've beaten narrower odds, we can do this."

The group rounded to her with varying expressions of disbelief.

"What, I can't be the voice of positivity for once?" she demanded.

"No, it's just I thought I would be the positive voice." Kira quipped.

"What if this doesn't work?" Brett asked.

There was a long silence.

"Then let's send a message." Derek said, turning to face everyone in the building. "Let's make something perfectly clear to anyone with a copy of that list. It doesn't matter if they're professional assassins, Hunters, or an amateur who just picked up a gun." Derek lifted his own gun. "Anyone who thinks they can hunt and kill us for money is gonna be put on another list— our list. They get to be a name on our Deadpool."

Night fell, and the room grew tense.

Esmeray heard the assassins before she saw them. She heard the soft clink of a grenade pin being pulled.

"SMOKE GRENADES!" Boyd bellowed.

Esmeray ducked behind a wall. Seconds later did the gunfire begin. Red lines crisscrossed the room from guns as she waited, listening to the sound of gunfire before stepping into the fog.

The ravenette shifted into her wolf form and ran forward, toppling the Hunter over and slamming him face first into the concrete. She heard the crack of bone from the nose and she knew he was unconscious.

She sensed another hunter and she waited, letting him think he had her unaware.

Esmeray spun around and lunged at him, her jaws sinking into his neck. He screamed but she didn't let go until her head snapped back, taking his throat with her.

She shifted immediately, coughing and hacking, spitting up the blood. She wiped away at it frantically.

"Esme!" Boyd yelled and she spun around, and letting him see her and the dead body at her feet and the blood around her mouth.

He just nodded. "You or him." he said and ran back into the fight.

You or him. she thought and she lunged back into the fight, staying in her werewolf form. She threw one assassin at another, before slamming them both into the ground.

She grabbed one assassin and spun around to face a second assassin, letting their bullets riddle his body. She threw the corpse at the assassin and bashed the second assassin's head against the ground, giving him a firm concussion.

She sensed another assassin and turned to face him, grunting as a bullet pierced her shoulder. She grunted but moved forward, kicking him in the groin before breaking his jaw.

Esmeray then turned to Scott, seeing him claw at an assassin. He looked up to see her and her heart stopped, seeing a more beastly version of her boyfriend's werewolf form.

"Scott." she murmured carefully, raising her hands.

A ping got her notice. Several of them and she frowned.

Scott pulled out a phone, read it, and then held it out for her to see.

THE BENEFACTOR: ALL CONTRACTS TERMINATED

Scott let the assassin go and the man fled the warehouse. She walked over to him and put a hand on his face, and he shifted back into her Scott, blood still adorning his face.

"It's over." he said.

She kissed him, pulling at his jacket to bring him closer.

The Deadpool was over.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray stirred from her seat, feeling the panic-terror coming from Liam's pack-bond to her. Maybe he had a nigtmare? she wondered.

Closing her eyes, she sent back a wave of comfort-calm-peace to the younger Beta. She waited for a few moments before sleep pulled her back into the world of dreams, when she got a surge of thankfulness from Liam.

The next morning at school, Lydia ran over to her. "Last night, I went into a Banshee trance." the strawberry blonde told her.

The evolved werewolf's heart sank. "Where did you go?"

"Derek's loft." Lydia said as Esmeray opened the doors. "And I screamed."

Esmeray felt like her world was being flipped on his head. Her reunion with Derek had been rocky, but it had been a year since then, they had gotten closer. Derek was family, he would always be family.

She let out a shaky breath. "Thank you for telling me. I'm assuming Scott knows?"

Lydia nodded. "He does."

They headed to first period art together. They class was enjoyable despite the distressing knowledge. She spent second period English with Boyd and Malia, sitting in-between her fellow shapeshifters.

She spotted an anxious looking Liam during break and tracked down Scott. Her mate looked up from his biology textbook and smiled when he saw her. "Hey." he greeted.

"Hey Scott." she said, sitting down. "I think Liam had a nightmare last night, maybe about the Berserkers he saw at the hospital. Can you try and talk to him?"

Scott nodded, a serious look appearing on his face. "I can."

She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Thank you. And good luck on the game tomorrow."

He grabbed her hand before she left. "Wait, I was thinking— how about a date, tonight? There's a new boba shop out of town."

Esmeray grinned. "I like the sound of that."

Economics was fourth period, and she shared it with Lydia, Kira, and Malia. She sat behind Lydia, across from Kira, who sat right behind Malia. Finstock began passing out papers. He handed one to her and she smiled at the A— on the paper.

She heard Malia whisper "Lydia?" Her best friend ignored it. "Lydia!"

She watched the interaction carefully when Lydia turned to the were coyote. "Did you hear me?" Malia proudly held out a paper. "Look! I passed!"

Lydia turned in her seat to face Malia. "C minus."

Esmeray smiled. "Hey, that's some good progress. You've gotten the hang of this quickly."

Kira spoke with a soft smile. "That's a decent grade, Malia. I can help tutor you this weekend if you want."

Malia turned to face Kira with a smile. "Sure!"

Coach, of course, ruined the moment when he slapped another paper on Malia's desk, an F written on it. Malia's face fell but Coach wasn't done. "Disappointed, Malia— profoundly disappointed."

Esmeray glared at the man who walked away. Lydia turned to Malia. "I'll send you my notes."

Malia nodded, looking crestfallen.

Esmeray noticed the disturbed look on Lydia's face. It hit her: Lydia didn't know Derek was evolving. "If you're thinking about Derek, he's going through the evolution process. He's becoming an evolved werewolf, like me. The final step is death, but he'll come back."

Lydia looked relieved. "So God does exist."

"The moon goddess does." Esmeray agreed.

Malia blinked. "Wait, evolved werewolf? You can turn into a full wolf?"

"Yeah." Esmeray confirmed before remembering Malia's backstory. "You want me to teach you how to full shift again, don't you?"

"I'm not going to leave Isaac for the woods," Malia said quietly. "But... but I miss it."

She softened. She loved her wolf form, it was so freeing to be in it. "Of course I'll teach you."

She grabbed Lydia after school ended. "Scott and I are going on our first date and I need your help." she blurted out. Because while Esmeray enjoyed her feminine side, Lydia was more well versed in the dating arena then she was.

Lydia's eyes widened before a massive grin broke out on her face. "Oh hell yeah, about time!"

Esmeray escorted the Banshee to her car and drove them to her apartment, where Lydia lead the way to her room. "I need to look at your closet to get the perfect outfit." Lydia declared, storming into the building.

Esmeray paused, sniffing out Peter and Chris's faint, but intertwined, scents. She glanced at the note that had a strong combination of her father's scents and read the note.

Going to look for Kate, be back tonight.

She sighed in relief and headed for her room, where Lydia had laid out several articles of clothing on her bed. The strawberry blonde turned to her, looking pleased. "Okay, these are some outfits I think you would look good in."

An hour later, Esmeray was leaning against the wall, waiting for Scott. She heard his bike and turned her head in his direction, smiling when she saw him. She walked over to him and he pulled his helmet off.

"You look great." her boyfriend said, a wide smile on his face.

"Thanks." she said shyly, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. She was wearing a red crop top with a white sun design in the center, paired with a set of dark blue jeans. She wore a pair of sneakers with her hair pulled into an elegant side braid. A pair of moon and stars jacket earrings rested on her ears.

"Come on, let's go." Scott said and she got on his dirt bike, taking the offered helmet. She put it on and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning into his warmth.

For once, they could be normal teenagers.

Scott, ever the gentleman, opened the door to the boba shop for her once they reached it. She smiled at him and entered, taking in the delicious smells and the gentle atmosphere.

"Wow." she said, grinning at her boyfriend. They got in line and she read over the flavors before making her decision.

"Hi, welcome to Boba Tea Palace!" the cashier, a pretty blonde who looked to be around their age, said cheerfully. "What can I get for you?"

Esmeray pulled out her card. "I would like an Almond Milk Tea with regular boba, and Scott would like..." she glanced at Scott.

"The Mango Milk Tea please." Scott said with a kind smile to the cashier. Esmeray noticed the cashiers look at Scott and her inner wolf let out a small snarl. She wrapped her arm around his waist, getting an amused glance from her boyfriend.

Esmeray paid for the drinks and they moved to a free table. "What was that about?" Scott asked, still looking amused.

She blushed slightly. "She was looking at you..." she mumbled.

Her mate laughed. "Don't worry Esme, I'm not interested in anybody but you."

That pacified her inner wolf and she smiled. "And I'm not interested in anybody but you."

Their drinks came after a few minutes and Esmeray sipped hers. She made a pleased noise when the flavor hit her tongue.

"I'm glad you liked it." Scott said with a grin, sipping his. A sad look came into his eyes. "Before... before the divorce, sometimes my dad would take mom and I to the old boba shop in town. It's shut down but when I heard about this place, I wanted to take you here."

She squeezed his hand. "Before the fire, my entire family, and I mean entire family, we would go to this good sea food restaurant every year on Christmas. But on special days, like our birthdays, me and my dad, we would go to this cute ice cream shop on the ocean. Just the two of us. It was really peaceful and we made a lot of good memories there. I'll take you there someday."

Scott smiled, soft and sweet. "I would really like that."

And for a moment, everything was perfect.

Scott had been forced to park his bike farther away from the shop, so it was a bit of a walk there. On the way, Esmeray froze when a familiar scent laced with death hit her nose.

"Scott." she hissed, grabbing his wrist. He looked back at her and nodded.

Something's here.

A Berserker was there.

And a second scent: lemons, chocolate, and salt.

"Kate—" Esmeray snarled, ducking a blow from her aunt.

"Abomination." Kate smirked, in her werejaguar form. A Berserker lunged from the shadows, going for Scott.

Esmeray shifted into her werewolf form and slashed Kate's arm. Kate roared and grabbed her, slamming her claws into Esmeray's thigh. Esmeray snarled and kicked Kate in the stomach, kicking her away.

"Look out!" Scott yelled and Esmeray spun around.

She was too late: the Berserker grabbed her and broke her arm, causing her to shriek in pain. It slammed her into a wall and then into the ground.

Right before she blacked out, she heard Scott's rage filled roar.

Consciousness creeped back to her.

She groaned, sensing her surroundings.

A cage, and she was on top of several bones.

And Scott— Scott was screaming.

"SCOTT!" she yelled, running to the bars, shaking them.

He continued to scream.

"SCOTT!"

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray paced in her cage until she sensed Kate approach, a psychotic smirk on her face. A towering Berserker behind her.

When she saw the Berserker's eyes, she paled. She reached down her bond with Scott but found his side cold and empty.

"What did you do to him?" she asked, her voice breaking.

"Oh?" Kate asked, turning to Scott before looking at her again. "This is just an upgrade. But the how— that's... that's the better story. You see, when I first got away from the Calaveras, I had no idea where to go... But something kept pulling me here, to the Temple of Tezcatlipoca. His name means 'smoking mirror,' and this place is a temple of the smoking mirror. Obsidian. When I got here, I found the Berserkers waiting for me. They helped me survive. I didn't know quite why until just recently, when I found in old book here in the ruins. It was then that I found out I could not only control the Berserkers, but I could create them. They call me La Loba, 'The Bone Woman.' You know how Scott became an Alpha without having to kill anyone? He's been through quite a lot without ever having to kill. I think it's time to change that."

The Berserker—Scott— swung at her. She dodged but he grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the wall.

"Don't Scott. Fight her." she pleaded, struggling against his grip.

Her words didn't have any affected. He sank the bone into her stomach, and again at her right thigh before dropping her. She landed with a grunt, leaning her back against the wall.

"Good." Kate said with a smirk kneeling down before her. "You look a lot like Allison, you know. Maybe that's why my brother keeps you around. Because you're just a cheap knock off of his real daughter."

She glared at the woman before her head was smashed against the wall.

It was a hailstorm of emotions coming from her pack bonds that woke her up. Esmeray forced her eyes to open and she groaned, clutching her stomach. But the moonlight kissed her skin through the small window of her cell and she relaxed slightly as her wounds stitched up.

Grunting, she closed her eyes and felt down her pack bonds. Her werewolf bonds, a combination of moon-silver and night-black were the strongest, and the ones giving off emotions. Liam was radiating rage—bloodthirstiness—anger, a telling sign he had shifted and had succumbed to his wolf instincts. Isaac was giving off determination-support and Boyd was sending off waves of resolution-caution and her father?

Peter was a beacon of perseverance and fury.

Esmeray took a moment to admire her pack bonds. A year ago, she had only a few. Now she had so many.

Her bonds with Boyd, Isaac, Derek, Peter, and Liam was an intermix of silver like the moon and midnight blue, her bond with Lydia was a meld of blood red and raven black, her bond with Kira was a fusion thunder cloud gray and lightning blue, Stiles's bond was an admix of tree bark brown and sunny gold, and her bond with Malia was a cross of russet red and the yellow of leaves during autumn.

Scott's end of their mating bond was cold and empty, something that made tears well in her eyes but she pushed it away.

A new bond caught her by surprise, one she hadn't noticed before. The formations of this bond was tree bark brown like Stiles's but interweaved with the green of leaves. Deaton she realized.

Focus on that later. she reminded herself.

Gathering up her meager strength, she sent down was strong pulse of calm-comfort-remember down her bond with Liam. She projected the impression of remember again, forcing it down the bond.

Liam's tornado of emotions began to die down and she did it again once more.

A small wave of gratefulness came down his side and she smiled.

A strong emotion came down her bond with Peter. Coming.

Waiting. she sent back. Hurry.

Esmeray could feel her energy slipping but she had one more message for all of her pack.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed with the last of her strength before the darkness claimed her: Trap.

Esmeray woke up again, but she didn't know how long she had been out. As she checked her wounds, she knew it had been long enough to fully heal.

To hear the sounds of battle outside.

She got up and rushed to the cage doors. She yanked at it with all her strength and a crack formed.

Esmeray could hear screams and she refused to let her pack kill Scott.

And so she howled.

She smashed her fists against the cage doors and they shattered. She shifted her wolf form and ran as fast as she could, following her packman's scent, following her pack's scent.

She rounded the corner to find Stiles and she shifted back.

Stiles hugged her and she hugged him back, breathing in his scent, her packman's scent, something familiar and comforting after everything in the cell.

"It's Scott." she said, pulling back. "Kate, she turned him into a Berserker. I need to save him."

Stiles looked horrified. "I'm coming with you."

"Let's go save your brother." she declared with steely resolve.

It was easy to find the pack.

Who were fighting Scott.

Sprinting into the room, she slammed Isaac out of the way of Scott's blade. "SCOTT!" she screamed, pushing at their mating bond.

Something cracked and Scott faltered, but then he pinned her up against the wall again by her throat.

"I'm not turned no by this." she quipped before gripping his mask. "Scott, look at me."

He stopped, and she meet her mate's brown eyes. Broken and dead but there was something under it all, like the real Scott, her Scott, was still there.

"I know you're in there! You're so strong, you've fought off things harder than this, so please. Come back to me. Please." she pried the hand pinning her in place off of her. "Please."

That seemed to trigger something because suddenly emotion flared back into Scott's eyes. He let her go and ripped off the mask, shedding the rest of the armor until he was standing before her, in the clothes he had been wearing for their date, bruised and bloodied, but alive and there.

Stiles beat them all to pulling the True Alpha into a bone crushing hug. Scott hugged back and the entire pack got into the hug, a tangle of limbs and bodies but they were all together again, and that was what mattered.

Scott let go first. "Let's kick Kate's ass."

"That was on my bucket list." Isaac quipped, but there was an edge to his voice.

Her inner wolf howled at it in glee.

Before they stepped out Malia pulled her into a tight hug and she hugged Malia back, soaking in her sister's presence. She then hugged Isaac, leaning into her brother's warmth.

Then they followed the rest of the pack out of the temple, falling in pace with each other.

Strong and safe with each other.

They were too late.

Kate's ass had been kicked already by Derek and the Calavera hunters by the time they got out into the clearing.

Esmeray saw her father among them and she ran forward. He spun around, grinning when he saw her.

She crashed into him like an asteroid but he held firm, arms enclosing around her. "You came." she whispered.

"Of course I did, Stardust." Peter said. "I wasn't going to loose you to her again."

He suddenly growled and she let go to see Araya Calavera walk over to them. Her pack approached but she shook her head before giving her full attention to the huntress.

Araya looked her up and down. "You're Esmeray Hale. Peter Hale and Chris Argent's daughter."

"I am." she confirmed. "You might think me of an abomination but I'm not. I might be a werewolf, but I have a soul too." Peter placed a hand on her shoulder. Esmeray saw Chris emerge from the temple and tense.

She kept her focus on the Calavera matriarch. "I have a right to exist on this planet."

Arya gave her a long look before nodding. "You have fought and put down many dangers, Miss Hale. The Calavera's will leave you be, and I will put a good word for you, but be careful. More conservative families could, and most likely will, come for you."

"What doesn't kill me better run." she said. She looked at her pack again and smiled. "And I got my pack with me."

Dawn broke a few hours later. The search for Kate had turned up empty handed, to Esmeray and Scott's mutual frustration.

The dead were collected and plans were made on how to get back to Beacon Hills.

"You're going with them?" Esmeray asked, feeling disappointed when Chris broke the news to her and Peter. She knew the rest of her pack was listening in, super hearing or not.

"I made a deal with the Calaveras weeks ago. They'll leave you alone— all of you. But only if I help them catch Kate." Chris explained.

"What if you can't? What if she kills you?" Peter asked, worry and frustration bleeding off of his words.

"She won't." Chris answered. "I'll kill her first. Even if it's the last thing I do, I'll make sure she'll never touch the two of you again."

There was a a long silence before Esmeray hugged Chris. She could smell his shock before he returned the hug.

She let go, meeting his gaze. "Stay safe... Dad."

Chris looked stunned before smiling and nodding. "I will."

She walked over to her pack and she didn't need her super hearing to hear her fathers converse about their relationship— or turn around to know they kissed. The look on Isaac's face said it all.

"He's our dad. Chris is a nice guy but I don't want to see them kissing." her brother grumbled.

"They're both happy." she said. "Where's Lydia?"

"Kate sent a Berserker to the school to keep Lydia away from here. But she, the Sheriff, and Mason, of all people, figured out how to kill it."

Derek joined them. "Braeden and I are going." he explained quietly. "I love Beacon Hills, but I want to spend time with her. Tour the country, see the world."

She smiled. "Stay safe and make sure to text us, or I'll think you've been kidnapped and got de-aged again."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Haha, very funny. But that's never happening again."

A broad, mischievous grin appeared on Isaac's face. "You just jinxed yourself, so who knows."

Derek gave Isaac a rude gesture before joining Braeden. Isaac headed over to Malia and Esmeray sensed Scott walk up behind her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in close and she sank into his warmth.

She turned around to face him, cradling his jaw. "I love you so much. I never thought I could love someone as much as I love you but I do, so much."

Scott smiled, happy tears in his eyes, waves of loving crashing down from his side of the bond expressing more then words could ever say. "I love you to the moon and back, Esmeray Hale."

Scott touched his forehead against hers, and Esmeray knew that together, they could face anything.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Once summer started, Esmeray was intent on keeping her promise to Malia by training her half sister on how to full shift again.

"Can you feel it?" she asked on one fine June day. "Your inner coyote."

The two supernaturals were in a remote clearing, so it was unlikely anyone would find them. And if someone did come their way, her and Malia's super senses would alert them both and they would move to a new place to keep training.

"I can." Malia confirmed.

Esmeray nodded, reaching out to her own inner wolf. "Okay, now imagine taking the form of a coyote. Turning into a coyote. The fur coming from your skin, your bones shifting, your body changing."

As the Hale girl said that, she turned into her wolf form as a demonstration. Walking in a circle on all four legs, she looked back at Malia.

Malia's face was scrunched up in concentration, but she remained human. Esmeray could smell an emotion coming off of her.

After a few more minutes, Malia opened her eyes, frustration painted all over her face. "It's not working."

Esmeray shifted back, standing up. "When you were concentration, you were scared."

The other girl nodded hesitantly. "I... I was."

The evolved werewolf quickly pieced it together. "You were scared of losing control. Like when..."

When you first shifted. went unspoken.

"That's what's blocking you." Esmeray said carefully.

"I'm sorry—"

"Don't be." Esmeray said firmly. "The night you shifted was a traumatic event that woke your powers. And you were an eight year old with no idea of your supernatural heritage. It wasn't your fault."

Malia nodded, but she still looked hesitant. Scared.

"I trust my inner wolf." Esmeray said. "I trust it, and I know I'm in control. You have to be in control, you have to be able to trust it. Not let it control you, not be scared of it."

"I'll get better." Malia vowed.

Esmeray nodded. "You're strong, Malia. You'll be able to do it. I know you will."

Esmeray browsed through the art store. She got the paintbrushes and colors she needed before leaving, and as she put them in her car, she saw Stiles.

She waved and the human waved back, jogging over. "Hey!" he said with a grin, before seeing her new art supplies.

"Making a portfolio for art school?" he asked.

Esmeray blinked before shaking her head. "No, this is just some stuff for a new project of mine. And... I really don't know what I want to do after high school."

"I was thinking of becoming a cop or FBI agent." Stiles said. "But you're really good at drawing. You would be an amazing artist. I still have the picture of my mom you made for me, and it looks just like her."

Esmeray nodded, mulling it over. She had done paid commissions on DeviantArt before Scott had been bitten and dragged into the hole supernatural mess, and last summer she hadn't done any due to looking for Erika and Boyd, in addition to training Isaac. The people there had told her she was an amazing artist, but she hadn't thought about making a career out of it.

"I'll think about it. Liam mentioned being a psychologist, maybe I'll double major."

"Psychology's good for you." she heard Lydia and she turned to see her best friend. "You've always been good with people and figuring out their problems."

Esmeray remembered Liam saying he wished he would be her psychologist, and figuring out what was blocking Malia from fully shapeshifting. But art still called for her more strongly.

She smiled. "Thank's for the advice, guys."

The evolved werewolf shot Stiles a mischievous grin. "I didn't know you had such good advice, Stiles."

Stiles let out a playful squawk while she and Lydia laughed.

Esmeray found herself texting Malia, Kira, and Lydia in their private group chat later that night.

Scream Queen: I'm planning to go into MIT after graduation. What about you guys?

Esmeray quickly sent her response.

Dark Moon: I want to do something that involves drawing, like art or architecture. California College of the Arts is my dream school anyways, with UC LA right after.

Kira texted her own reply.

Zap Zap: Boyd said that he wants to join the army, given he's in ROTC, and I think he'll do great there! I want to major in anthropology and my dream college is NYU, with Brown University or UC Berkley as my other two choices.

Wild Coyote: I don't know what to major in or where to go, to be honest.

Esmeray paused for a moment, thinking. An idea struck her and she quickly texted back Malia.

Dark Moon: Have you thought about majoring zoology or ethology? Zoology is the study of animals, and ethology is the study of animal behavior. You would be good at both!

Wild Coyote: That actually sounds fun.

Wild Coyote: Thanks sis

Esmeray smiled, her inner wolf howling in delight.

"What are you thinking of doing after high school?" Scott asked her a week later, during their date. It had been a picnic in the preserve, near a small pond she had frequented with her cousins when she was small before the fire.

Currently, they where laid out on their backs, watching the sky and holding hands.

Esmeray had never felt more content.

"I was thinking of going to art school, recently." she said. "I've always loved art, so I want to do something that involves it. Isaac mentioned that he's planning to go into finance or math." she looked at her boyfriend. "What about you?"

"I'm aiming to be a veterinarian." Scott said without missing a beat. "UC Davis has a good program, and it's only an a few hour drive from here." He looked at her shyly. "I think it has an art program as well."

She got on her side. "I don't know. California College of the Arts has gotten my eye and... and I want to go there. UC Davis is good, I looked at it a few years ago. But CCA is my calling."

"Then you should apply there. And if you get in, then that's great." Scott said gently. "I don't want to hold you back just to stay near you. And CCA is in SF, and UC Davis isn't far from the city, I think it's an hour or so drive. We can still visit."

Esmeray grinned. "I like the sound of that." she kissed him. "Thank you for being an amazing boyfriend and mate.

Scott kissed her back. "And thank you for being the love of my life.

Chapter Text

Esmeray: *Picks up a difference in Stiles's scent*

The Nogitsune: *Plans murder*

Scott & Esmeray: *Get together*

Ghost Erika: ABOUT TIME!

Scott: Guys, what's the plan for Mother's Day?

Kira: The really nice flowers!

Lydia: Jewelry.

Boyd: Those really good chocolates.

Stiles & Malia & Isaac: *Awkward silence*

Esmeray: What's a mom?

Esmeray: I need help for Father's Day

Stiles: Don't get them liquor *Hides alcohol from Noah*

Malia: I thought you got your dad that rare math book from India.

Esmeray: Yeah, but I don't know what to get Chris! Guns? Arrows? Wolfsbane?

Scott: ...

Scott: How about some chocolates?

Theo: *Starts scheming to kill Scott*

Esmeray: So you have chosen Death

Esmeray: The world is a dark and cruel place where only the strongest survive—

Scott: *Exists*

Esmeray: OMG Scott hi!

Boyd: *Alone*

Esmeray: *Kicks down door* You can join this pack and risk getting killed, or stay alone!

Boyd: Hell yeah *Jumps right in*

The Calavera's: *Enter stage right*

Esmeray: *Exist stage left at full speed*

Malia: *Exists*

Esmeray: Alright, how many teenagers in this town am I the half sibling of?

Peter: *Wakes from coma*

Kate: Why do I hear boss music?

Stiles & Esmeray: *Chilling*

Scott: *Gets into supernatural adventure*

Stiles & Esmeray: Here we go again...

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray sent the commission she had done on DeviantArt to the user who had requested it. She heard Scott enter the apartment and she grinned, getting up from her chair and exiting her room, jumping into her boyfriend's arms. His arms wrapped around her and she hugged him back, inhaling his scent.

"Ew, get a room." Isaac drawled.

"You and Malia better get one too." the ravenette shot back, feeling Scott shake with silent laughter.

Isaac gave her a rude gesture and left. Scott let her go and they drifted to the couch, starting a movie. They didn't need to talk to communicate how glad they where to be with each other.

Esmeray headed to the kitchen to get some snacks, and when she got back her heart skipped a beat when she saw Scott thumbing through one of her sketchbooks. One that contained drawings of the pack, nature, images that she had imagined... and Scott.

Her boyfriend looked up, meeting her gaze "You drew me?"

She nodded, blushing a bit. "You have a good face to draw."

"So do you." Scott quipped and she smiled, kissing his forehead and sitting next to him.

A few days later, she found herself helping Malia with summer school.

Malia was very smart, and everyone in the pack knew it. She just needed patience and help to be able to understand the subjects she struggled on.

"You got this one correct." Esmeray said, pointing out an Algebra II equation. She tapped the next one. "But you messed up on this equation right here. You're supposed to get rid of the x and z by making them equal."

"I hate triple equations." Malia grumbled. "But thanks."

The Hale House Fire survivor nodded. "Yeah, they're tricky."

She and her sister worked together in easy, comfortable silence for the next hour together. Malia was able to grasp the math better and Esmeray watched in pride.

She saw something out of the corner of her eye, and she when she turned around to look, she could swear it was Allison, smiling proudly.

And the broken, faded bond with her sister tugged.

"Liam, what the hell." Esmeray said in disbelief, looking at the sheepish Liam, exhausted Scott, Isaac, and Boyd, and very done Stiles.

"I'm sorry!" Liam said.

"Do you know how many times my dad and I had to erase the memory of the people who saw you?" she demanded.

"Or the calls my dad got because of 'some naked wolf-boy running around.'?" Stiles also asked, rubbing his temples. "I think this is going to make my dad drink again."

"I need a drink." Scott declared.

Malia looked at the thrashed basement in shock. "Not even I was this bad."

"This is never happening again." Isaac vowed.

"It better." the blue eyed teenager snarked.

"If it does, I'm moving to Canada." Stiles vowed.

"To senior year!" Stiles cheered as the pack splayed around Derek's living room. He then pointed at Liam. "Or sophomore year, if you're Liam."

Derek and Braeden had left after the end of the school year. Last time he had called, they where in Edinburg, Scotland. Her cousin was happy, and Esmeray was happy for him.

"To senior year." Isaac agreed with a smile that turned slightly bittersweet. "Raise your hand if you didn't think you would get this far."

Esmeray found herself raising a hand, as did Isaac, Boyd, and Malia.

Scott gave her a concerned look.

"I wasn't in the best state when you got bit." Esmeray murmured softly, so only Scott and Stiles could hear her. "You and Stiles saved me."

"Maybe this year will be more quiet?" Kira suggested optimistically.

"No, you just jinxed it." Isaac declared dramatically.

"Is Kate dead?" Malia asked. At that, everyone in the room turned to her with questioning and pleading gazes for her confirmation.

With a heavy heart, the evolved werewolf shook her head. "Dad got a call from Chris last night. She's still alive, somehow, and still one step ahead."

"How hard can it be to kill one psychopathic, murderous, arrogant bitch?" Lydia groaned.

"It can be hard if the bitch is a trained Hunter with the highest kill count in Hunter history." Esmeray mumbled.

"She must be getting rusty, if she wasn't able to kill you." Liam said.

Esmeray smiled at the younger Beta. "Yeah, she must of."

(Months later, Esmeray would treasure this as the one memory of the entire pack, together and happy and safe)

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

They should be here. Esmeray thought, her blue eyes sweeping the parking lot. Suddenly her mating bond with Scott tugged and she grinned, quickly leaving her spot under the covering to follow the bond to under one of the pathways. She moved quickly, not wanting to get soaked in the pouring rain.

"You're almost late." she teased, walking through the drizzling water.

Scott gave her a grin she found herself returning. "But I made it, didn't I?"

"You did." she said and pulled him in for a kiss, arms looping around his neck as his arms encircled her waist.

Their moment was rudely interrupted when she heard rapid footsteps and broke away, turning to see a hulking man with glowing blue eyes and some dark, sticky material on his face.

"Scott McCall... and Esmeray Hale." the man said with a grin before attacking.

Esmeray dodged, as did Scott. She quickly shifted and ducked under his claws, kicking the legs out from underneath him. Scott quickly followed by dislocating the man's shoulder.

The man snarled and got back up, shoulder audibly snapping back in place. Esmeray snarled and bared her teeth, though her nose wrinkled when she got a whiff of his scent.

It was... corrupted. It was the only word that seemed to fit the twisted, snarled scent that hit her sensitive nose.

"Who are you?" Scott growled, in his werewolf form and moving to stand next to her.

"A devoted fan." the man said, baring his teeth and moving closer. "Show me the man who took down Deucalion and broke the Argents— I came for that Alpha." his unnervingly long claws glowed blue. "Come on!" he howled before charing.

Esmeray sensed another presence and a teenage boy around her age with glowing gold eyes jumped into the fight, kicking the other man in the face. Esmeray lunged forward, claws digging deep into his chest but was kicked back. She flipped back on her feet in time to see Scott punch the man in the face, breaking his orbital and smashing another fist into the man's stomach.

The man's claws suddenly pierced Scott's chest and Esmeray's heart skipped a beat. But the attacker instead screamed, letting go and staggering back as he held his arm, which was embedded with his own broken claws. Scott bared his teeth, a snarl erupting from him.

The rest of the pack suddenly appeared and while Esmeray nodded at them, she kept her eyes on Scott.

Her mate bared his fangs. "I don't know who you are, or what you thought you were going to do, but I'll give you a choice. You can stay, and I'll break something else... Or you can run."

The man looked at Stiles, who merely raised an eyebrow. "I'd run."

The man took off and the boy took a step to them.

Esmeray gave a territorial growl, a warning threat. You might've helped, but you're not an ally.

There was also something... off about him. She didn't know what is was, but it set off her instincts and her inner wolf, and she trusted her instincts, her inner wolf.

"Esme." Scott said and she reluctantly backed down. The rest of the pack was now all assembled together, in a loose half circle facing the unknown boy.

"You don't remember me, do you?" the teenager said. "I guess I look a little different since the fourth grade."

Scott blinked. "Theo?"

Malia spoke up, confusion coming off of her in waves. "You know him?"

"They used to. Trust me, I never thought I'd see you guys again. A couple of months ago, I heard of an Alpha in Beacon Hills. When I found out his name was Scott McCall, I just couldn't believe it. Not just an Alpha, but a True Alpha." the boy, Theo said.

"Cut all the flowery shit." Isaac impatiently cut in. "What do you want?"

Theo held up his hands in obviously pacifying gesture. "I want to join your guys pack."

Those words just set off even more red flags in Esmeray's mind.

In the end, the pack had decided to talk about it instead of just letting Theo join straight away as they headed to the library. Liam went home, given he was not a senior and couldn't participate in Senior Scribe night.

"We haven't seen this kid in years!" Stiles said. "You don't find that highly suspicious?"

"That he shows up the same time an enemy attacks our Alpha? Yes." Isaac said. "Every time some new comes who knows, they're up to something. Every time."

"That's a big thing to say—" Kira pointed out.

"First there was the Argents, who moved here to deal with my dad even though he was entirely justified and only went after the responsible ones. Then Gerard moved here to take control of You-Know-What and become one of us by having Derek bite him and he that had happened was going to then kill Derek. Last year there was Jennifer, the Alpha Pack, the Nogitsune in the first half of the year who all knew or were in the supernatural world already, and then we had Violet, Garrett, the Mute, the Chemist, and all the other assassins who knew and came here to kill us." Esmeray listed. She gave an apologetic look to Kira. "Your mom moved here specifically to get rid of the Nogitsune. Hell, we can even count Matt, right?"

Boyd hummed. "Matt already lived here, but when he found out he went off the rails."

"I just realized how many people have tried to kill us." Stiles declared.

"See!?" Isaac said. "I'm right!"

"Matt who?" Malia asked.

"Remember when we told you about the Kanima?" Esmeray murmured and Malia made a noise of recognition.

Stiles nodded. "You guys all make excellent points. I don't trust the timing of this."

Scott cleared his throat. "I'm kind of more concerned about the guy who just tried to kill me. But not every time someone comes here who knows means that they're an enemy. Kira's mom was kinda of an ally in the end. There's also been Braeden, my dad, and Satomi and her pack."

"Enemies still outnumber helpers." Esmeray drawled, meeting Stiles's eyes. He blinked, conveying he got her message and sent one back.

I don't trust him either.

Malia's phone pinged and Esmeray turned to the were-coyote. Malia pulled out her phone and suddenly grinned.

"I'm in! I passed. I'm officially a senior." the brunette said proudly.

Isaac let out a whoop and hugged her. It devolved into a group hug when Lydia stormed up to them.

"Thank God! Where have you guys been? The whole senior class is here! Are we doing this or not?" the Banshee asked.

"We are." Esmeray assured her best friend, looking over her shoulder to smile at the pack. "Come on guys, let's go."

Esmeray accepted the marker from Scott, her eyes finding the initials T.H., N.H., P.H., L.H., and D.H. as her eyes roved over the hundreds of signatures. She also spotted C.L. and J.O. and she smiled sadly, remembering her deceased family members.

She put her initials down, a simple E.H. before impulsively adding down E.R., A.S., E.S. and J.W. before finally adding down A.A..

Erika, Aiden, Ethan, Jackson, and Allison. Five people who all should have been there with them for this night, but all of them gone for different reasons.

"They're here with us." Scott murmured, having moved closer to her.

"I know." she said, tracing the initials. "But now, they'll be here forever."

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

"Isaac!" Esmeray called, waiting for her brother at the door of the apartment. She was dressed and ready to go, but Isaac was taking his sweet time getting ready.

"Here!" her brother said, emerging from his room, lacing up his sneakers. He joined her at the door.

Her father poked his head out from his office, smiling at them. "Have a good day! And don't get into trouble!"

"Trouble looks for us, Dad!" Esmeray called back as she left the apartment, but she was still grinning.

"Senior year." Esmeray said, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel as she parked her car in one of the free spots.

"I never thought I would get here." Isaac said quietly. She looked at her brother and he elaborated. "I just thought that maybe I would... vanish, into that house."

Esmeray leaned over and squeezed his hand, absorbing some of the pain he was carrying. "You got out. He can't hurt you anymore."

"No he can't." Isaac agreed, a small smile appearing on his face.

The two of them left their car and Esmeray smiled when she picked up Scott's scent. Bidding farewell to Isaac (who had spotted Malia) she strode up the steps and entered the building, finding Scott easily.

She quickly joined him, wrapping one arm around his waist, leaning into his warmth and letting her end of the bond flood with happiness-adoration. The arm that wrapped around her shoulders and the surge of love coming from Scott's end of the bond made her feel like she was on cloud nine.

"First day of senior school." she said.

"Last first day ever." Scott agreed, smiling brightly.

They headed to their lockers before parting ways. Esmeray to her first period AP Physics class, nodding in greeting to the teacher.

It had taken Esmeray a bit to figure out what she wanted to be, but she knew what she wanted to be now— an architect.

Esmeray had a free period after her third period AP Calculus class. She had AP Government for second period, and English 4 for her fourth period before ending the day on her final class, Art 3.

She spotted Scott sitting on the steps and hurried over, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek as she sat down. "Hey." she greeted and he smiled back. "Hey Esme. How's your first day going?" Scott asked her.

She hummed. "Good. I've been enjoying my classes so far. You?"

Scott frowned a bit. "AP Biology was... tough. Mrs.Finch is really hard and—"

"Scott." Esmeray said gently, taking his hand in hers. "You can do it. You're smarter than you think you are. You need AP Biology to be a veterinarian, and you shouldn't give up your dream just because of one teacher."

He smiled. "Your right. Thanks, Esme."

"Anytime." she promised, touching her forehead to his as Scott wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she closed her eyes, burying herself in Scott's familiar, comforting scent. From there, an easy, comfortable silence fell as they enjoyed the lingering warmth of summer and peace.

The peace was suddenly broken when Stiles ran up to her and Scott. "Hey! You! You two are coming with me."

"We are having a moment, Stiles." Esmeray drawled, giving him a half hearted glare. She knew that Stiles wouldn't get them unless it was something.

And with Theo's sudden appearance, she knew it was related to Theo.

Which was how she found herself in boy's locker room, listening to Theo's tale.

"I was skating in a neighbor's empty pool, trying to do a handplant." Theo explained. "Nobody was home. I'm not that good of a skateboarder, but I guess I was feeling pretty determined, because I completely lost track of time. I didn't even realize that it was night until the yard lights came on. Like I said, I wasn't very good."

Esmeray was listening to his heart beat from her spot next to Scott. Stiles was watching from the sidelines. Theo's heart beat wasn't faltering, like it would be if Theo was lying. But looking at his face, at the honesty painted so clearly on his face...

It just a little to much, a little to off.

"On my last try, I went down and hit hard— really hard. I was sitting there at the bottom of the pool, and I realized something... I never heard the board come back down. It came at me fast. I barely had a chance to turn around before it bit me," Theo gestured to his side. "Right here."

"It wasn't an accident— he wanted to turn you." Scott said.

Stiles cut in. "Right. So, why aren't you part of his pack, then? Why didn't he come back for you?"

Theo swiftly explained, a second too fast in Esmeray's opinion. And mostly just addressing Scott, which rubbed her the wrong way. "Because by the time of my first full moon, he was dead."

"The bond was too new for you to have felt him die through the bond." Esmeray pointed out quietly.

Scott nodded. "Yeah. I struggled feeling my bond with Peter at first, especially because he left me before it could settle in properly. My first proper pack bond was with Stiles and Esmeray."

Esmeray did a pretty good job of resisting to swoon, in her opinion.

"I met another one of his pack a couple weeks later. He told me the Alpha that bit me was killed by two of his own Betas. They were twins." Theo smoothly explained.

She raised an eyebrow and cut a look at Stiles who blinked—He's off on a vital detail if he's saying it's the twins— and then she looked at Scott. Aiden and Ethan were Omega's of their pack, not Betas.

Scott quirked his own eyebrows. But there are dozens of werewolf twins, right?

She bit her lip. Yeah but—

Theo cut in, getting her mate's attention. "Scott, listen to my pulse— I'm telling the truth."

Stiles jumped into the conversation. "Right, or you just know how to steady your heart rate while you're lying your ass off."

"Why would I lie?" Theo asked.

"Because maybe, you're not who you say you are." Stiles said sharply.

Theo blinked at him. "Okay." he then turned to Scott, ignoring her. "In the fourth grade, you had an inhaler. I had one, too. I remember this day where I ended up in the nurse's office with an asthma attack— a bad one. I was waiting to be taken to the ER. You were waiting for the principal. You told me what would happen when you go to the ER for asthma. How they give you oxygen, an IV of prednisone. You made it sound easy, like everything would be okay. I've been by myself this whole time. Everybody knows that lone wolves, they don't make it on their own. I swear, I'm that same kid from fourth grade. I was hoping you are, too."

He then glanced at her. "I know your were on your own too, after the fire."

"I had my father and Deaton." she said sharply, trying to ignore the memories of the fire. She had come to peace with it, but she wouldn't forget it.

The bell rang. Theo sighed. "I better not be late for class," he gave them a light smile. "You're not the only ones I need to make a good impression on."

She watched him collect his bag before making a tight circle with Scott and Stiles.

"Don't give me that look." Stiles said.

"We have to give people the benefit of the doubt sometimes." her boyfriend pointed out.

"Not this time, all right? I'm right! There's something off about him, I can feel it." Stiles insisted.

Scott turned around and began to walk away. "Lydia's the psychic, not you."

"She's a Banshee!" Esmeray corrected before turning to Stiles.

"You feel it too?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah." Esmeray murmured. "I don't know what it is but he's just... he's too off."

At the end of the day, Esmeray found herself with the pack in the library when Stiles barged in and slapped to papers onto the table.

"You found something?" Scott asked.

"Another signature." Stiles said, pointing to one paper. "This is Theo's dad's signature on a speeding ticket from eight years ago," he then pointed to the second paper. "And this is his dad's signature on a transfer form to Beacon Hills High School from just a few days ago."

Kira spoke. "How did you get his transfer form?"

"I'm pretty sure we don't want to know." Isaac quipped.

"You stole it, didn't you?" Boyd asked, looking but exasperated but amused of his pack-mate's antics.

"I didn't steal it!" Stiles protested.

Esmeray gave the human a look, mirrored by the rest of the pack. Stiles's thievery was well known at this point.

Stiles cracked under the several looks of disbelief. "Okay, I might have stolen it the administration office. Can we just focus on the signatures, please?" He gestured to the signatures. "They're different."

Esmeray looked at the signatures, seeing the minor differences. But it wasn't enough to be to different people.

"They aren't exactly the same but still similar. Like a half baked forgery." Isaac proposed.

She turned to face her brother. "How do you know that?"

"Everybody focus please! Look at these, they're completely different!" Stiles corrected, sliding the papers over to Scott. "Come on, look. The garlands don't match, the undulations of the sinuous stroke are totally off... And look! Look at this— perfect example of the criminal tremor."

"So, we got Theo that we can all confirm is Theo form eight years ago." Boyd said carefully. "But his parents... couldn't be his parents."

"They could be his new foster or adoptive parents." Kira suggested.

Esmeray bit her lip. Kira made sense but her instincts still told her to not trust Theo.

"But what if they're psychotic killers!?" Stiles hissed.

"My mom's the Desert Wolf." Malia deadpanned.

"My mom summoned the Nogitsune." Kira added.

Esmeray sighed when her pack-mates looked at her. "And my dad went on a... justifiable murder spree of the people who burned down my house and gave us both permanent trauma."

Isaac drummed his fingers on the table. "I feel like I should point out that my sperm donor kinda was the reason why Matt went insane and went on a murder spree using Jackson."

"Do Scott and I have the only normal parents here?" Boyd asked, trying to bring in some comedy.

"Pretty much." Scott agreed.

"Okay. It's fine. You know what? I'll figure it out myself. Right? I don't need you, or you, or you. I don't need anyone." Stiles declared and marched out of the library. Esmeray smelled the hurt coming off of him and followed.

"Stiles!" she called, racing up to him.

"What do you want?" Stiles asked, coming to a halt.

She held up her hands placatingly. "I want to clarify that I'm not fully on Scott's side, but that is hardly damming evidence."

"You're on my side!" Stiles shouted.

"I agree with you that we can't trust Theo. But it's been eight years. Maybe his dad hurt his hands somehow that lead him to get surgery. We don't know. But I do believe you that it could also not be the same person, and something is up." she said.

Stiles shoulder's slumped. "Yeah that... kinda makes sense, on the hand injury."

"If you're going to investigate him, be careful." Esmeray murmured.

"I will." Stiles promised and walked away.

Hours later, Esmeray woke up from sleep to her phone going off. She saw BABY BETA flash on the ID identification and answered.

"Liam?" she asked groggily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Mason knows." Liam blurted out.

You got to be kidding me. Esmeray thought before taking a deep breath.

"Tell me everything that happened." she asks, and Liam told her.

"Don't bother to lie. Explain, but summarize, and promise that someone else from the pack, most likely Scott, Isaac, Stiles, or I, explain in depth later." she instructed.

"Got it. I'll tell Scott, since I called you first." Liam confirmed.

She smiled and after bidding good night to Liam, fell asleep content knowing that the young Beta trusted her.

Only to be woken up what seemed like minutes later by Isaac, saying that there was yet another supernatural murder.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

By the time they got there, the police were there and Esmeray grimaced at the noise of the sirens, similar looks on her brother and father's face. Peter parked the car near Stiles's jeep and hopped out, and Esmeray followed alongside Isaac.

They rushed over to the tunnel, and Esmeray saw Stilinski, Kira, Boyd, Lydia, Malia, and Stiles huddled together.

The Sheriff sighed when he saw them. "Guys, really? This couldn't have been an... incident."

"It's Beacon Hills." her father drawled. "There's always a chance."

Esmeray walked closer to the crime scene, closing her eyes and focusing on the smells.

Blood.

Death.

Fear.

Oranges, juniper, citrus, mutated-

Esmeray opened her eyes, frowning. "Malia, Dad, Isaac, does Tracey's scent smell off to you?"

"No." Malia called out. "No it smells normal."

Peter joined her, inhaling. "It's a bit... mutated. I can only tell thanks to my experience."

Esmeray opened her mouth but there was a short scream that had her snapping her head in the direction of where it came from.

"Scott, is that you?" she heard Parrish ask and she turned around, joining the group.

"Yeah, I found Donovan." Scott voice's came through the receiver. "He's completely freaked out. He keeps saying some name."

"What name?" the Sheriff asked.

"Theo." Stiles whispered. Esmeray frowned, not agreeing with his guess but her eyes scanned the area for Theo just to be safe. She couldn't see him, but narrowed her eyes at one of the pillars overlooking the road.

She could pick out a lone figure there, but before she could focus, Scott spoke over the phone.

"Tracy. He keeps saying 'Tracy.'" Scott replied.

"Tracey who?" Stilinski repeated, frowning.

"Stewart." Lydia said suddenly and Esmeray turned to her best friend. "Tracy Stewart."

Esmeray rubbed her temples. "It's way too late for this. Let's all go home and we'll reconvene tomorrow."

Boyd nodded in agreement. "Sounds good."

"Tracy wasn't just having trouble sleeping." Lydia said, pacing. "It was a real disorder. It was night terrors."

"Well, now she's the night terror. Especially since no one can find her." Stiles snarked.

"Guys." Esmeray said. "I know that we are all tired and exhausted after last night but we have to pay attention and work together."

She then cut her gaze to Mason. "We would appreciate it if you could tone it down a bit."

The chemo-signals of an unnecessarily strong and overpowered excitement coming off Mason was causing her a legitimate headache.

Mason stared at her blankly before blinking. "Oh, sorry. All of this is all just mind-blowing."

He gestured to Kira. "You're a Kitsune! I don't even know what that is!"

"Kitsune's are Japanese fox spirit." Boyd snapped, coming to his girlfriend's defense. Kira placed a hand on his arm and he calmed down.

Stiles gave Liam an exasperated look. "Liam, we said you could tell him, not invite him to the inner circle!"

Mason perked up. "I'm in the inner circle?"

"No!" Liam and Stiles yelled in unison, though it didn't damper Mason's excitement.

Scott cuts in. "Guys, look, back to Tracy. She's just one lone wolf— we can find her."

"One lone, serial-killing wolf..." Malia pointed out.

Which really isn't new here. Esmeray thought to herself.

"There's only one dead person under her belt right now." Isaac said awkwardly. Esmeray frowned, glancing in-between the two and making a note to try and ask what was going on.

"All right, what do we do when we catch her?" Stiles asked.

Malia answered without missing a beat. "I say we put her down."

There was a long silence between the pack. Esmeray was torn- Tracey was a possible threat, but she didn't deserve to die. The evolved werewolf strongly suspected that she wasn't even aware of what had happened to her.

"Intense." Mason said, breaking the silence.

Scott took back the reins of the conversation. "Guys, let's concentrate on catching her, first. We'll figure out the rest later."

The ten minute bell rang.

"Be on the look out." Esmeray warned, picking up her bag. "I don't think Tracey's in control or even aware of what's going on. Be sharp, keep your senses open for her scent or heartbeat."

"And if you find her," Scott added "Try and help her."

Esmeray was in her first period class when her phone buzzed. Subtly, she pulled it out and looked at the screen.

Scream Queen: Tracey's here. She's in Mr.Yukimura's class.

Shit. Esmeray thought and put her phone away. At that moment, the fire alarm went off and she knew what it was: A distraction and a safety precaution.

Esmeray got up and left the classroom, making a beeline for Mr.Yukimura's class. She entered and took in the scene: Scott, Liam, and Mr.Yukimura, all stood at the front of the empty classroom. A barefooted girl, the missing Tracey, held another girl in her grip.

"Tracey." Scott said, slowly approaching. "Tracey, let go."

"Scott." Esmeray murmured. "Scott, you're going to have to us your Alpha voice."

He glanced back at her, obviously hesitant to use it. She meet his stare without wavering, reaching out down their bond: It's the only way to make her let go.

Suddenly, Tracey let go of the other girl and got both her and Scott's attention.

"They're coming..." Tracey said almost dreamily. "They're coming for all of us."

Then she collapsed, silver liquid escaping her mouth. So smooth and shiny it seemed unnatural.

What the hell is going on? Esmeray thought.

She focused her hearing on the heartbeat. "She's breathing."

Scott moved forward and Esmeray followed, helping him pick Tracey up. Once stable, they both rushed out of the classroom and out to the parking lot.

Isaac, Malia, and Stiles joined them.

"Your car is the biggest." her brother told her.

"We need to get you one." she quipped, letting Scott carry Tracey bridal style while she pulled out her car keys and unlocked it. Scott placed the unconscious girl in the back seat of her car. Esmeray hopped into the driver's seat and took off.

Esmeray monitored Tracey, the girl unconscious on the examination table in one of the rooms of Beacon Hill's Animal Clinic.

Deaton pulled back Tracey's eyelids, shining a light. "Pupils dilate under normal conditions."

He pressed his fingers to her neck. "Heart rate is 250."

Esmeray moved closer, her fingers hovering over Tracey. The other girl's skin was covered in sweat, and under the light of the clinic it looked clammy, pale, and weak.

"Do you think she's rejecting the bite?" she asked Deaton.

Her former legal guardian shook his head. "If she had rejected the bite, then she would be dead by now."

He pulled back Tracey's sweater, revealing a red, angry scar where her neck meet her shoulder, similar to the burn scar covering the area of where Esmeray's right shoulder meet her neck and climbed up a small portion of the right side of Esmeray's neck.

"Not a burn scar." Deaton said, obviously catching onto her thoughts. "No, this is an allogeneic skin graft."

He then pointed to the silvery stains on Tracey. "Now, this silvery substance at her lips is not something I've seen. It almost looks like mercury."

Tracey's body jolted, her eyes staying close despite the movement rippling through her limbs.

"Uh... Can't you just give her a shot of something?" Malia asked.

The evolved werewolf instantly knew what her half sister meant. Isaac seemed to pick up on it as well.

"Malia, no." Isaac said quietly but firmly. "If Esmeray's right then she didn't meant to do it."

Malia didn't back down. "How do you know she's not going to kill us?"

Stiles cleared his throat. "She makes a decent point. Either way, I'm going to have to let my dad know she's here."

"Agreed." Deaton said. "And, while I may argue against euthanasia," he gave a pointed look to Malia. "I'm not opposed to a little..." Deaton reached for something behind him. "Extra security." he declared, revealing a jar of mountain ash.

He opened the jar and tossed out the mountain ash, the fine black ash creating a circle around them and the table. She felt it at once, the barrier forming and the energy humming in the air.

Stiles stilled looked concerned.

"She won't be able to cross the barrier." Esmeray said softly. "You and Deaton will be able to get out just fine though. Not Malia, Isaac, Scott, and I."

Malia hit the air around the mountain ash and a blue shield briefly sparked to life. "Weird."

"Yup." Isaac agreed.

"Scott? Isaac? Esmeray? Would you mind holding her down?" Deaton asked, holding out a scalpel." I'm going to be trying a few more invasive tests."

She locked eyes with Scott and nodded, taking her place at the table and holding down Tracey's left leg. Isaac did the right leg while Scott pinned down Tracey's right arm. Deaton took the scalpel and dragged it down Tracey's left forearm.

Esmeray watched stunned as the knife didn't pierce the skin, instead the scalpel broke cleanly in half.

Werewolves didn't have stone skin. They cut, bruised, and bled, still experienced pain, but they healed and didn't leave scars.

"She's not a werewolf." Isaac said aloud.

"Then what is she?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know." the evolved werewolf said, looking at her friend and brother. "But we're going to find out."

"Now this is interesting." Deaton murmured, and she looked over at the Druid. He looked up at her. "Can you flip her over, Esmeray?" Deaton asked and she nodded, turning Tracey over and onto her back. At Deaton's gesture, she pulled up Tracey's sweater and jerked back, her eyes going wide. Malia took a step back when she saw it took.

Something was pulsing underneath the skin of Tracey's back and skin, her vertebrae squirming and sliding.

Deaton turned to Scott, Isaac, and Stiles. "Do you care to enlighten the rest of us? Because this doesn't look too good."

As the three boys got closer, Tracey's back split open.

Esmeray shrieked as the other girls backed ripped open down the middle, skin ripping apart as a burst of black liquid shot out. It hit Scott, Deaton, and Isaac, causing the three to immediately recoil. Esmeray stepped in front of Stiles, shoving him behind her, her blue eyes fixed on the bare bones of Tracey's spine, on display for them all to see.

And then a tail came flying out, hitting her across the face and slicing open the skin. She staggered back, feeling the venom enter her system as she fell to the floor back first. Stiles was next, followed by Malia and Deaton. Tracey jumped at Isaac, who collapsed next to Malia, and then Scott was next, hitting the ground next to her.

"Kanima." she forced out. "She's a Kanima!"

"No shit!" Isaac barked.

Tracey then ran straight through the mountain ash circle, stunning them all into silence.

"Hey, Deaton? How the hell did she get through the mountain ash?" Stiles called out, anxiety dripping off his words.

"I don't know," Deaton answered. "It's a barrier no supernatural creature should be able to cross."

"Scott managed to do it." Isaac pointed out.

"Only once and it nearly killed me. The only reason I didn't die was because I turned into a True Alpha." Scott admitted.

Esmeray gritted her teeth, concentrating on her healing. "Guys, we need to focus on healing."

"How do we do that?" Malia asked.

"Focus on imagining a body party moving," Deaton explained. "Think of a body part. Your hands, your feet, even just the tips of your fingers. Imagine them moving. See it in your mind, and your body will follow."

The Hale girl closed her eyes and focused on her legs, her arms, focused on imaging them move. She thought of her wolf form, or running through the woods, wild and free.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure I just felt my right leg move." Stiles announced. He grunted. "Uh, yep. Definitely felt it. Like a twinge, spasm. Something."

Deaton shot it down immediately. "I'm going to have to disagree. And I think I hold an informed opinion."

Esmeray opened her eyes, flitting to Scott before seeing something twitch. Her gaze moved to Malia, who was looking at her moving fingers.

She smiled. "That's good Malia."

"That's my girlfriend!" Isaac cheered, and she could hear the smile in her brother's words.

Her half sister smiled. "I don't think she cut me that deep."

The ravenette turned her focus onto Malia, and her half sister slowly began to move. The were-coyote got to her feet and stumbled for the door.

"Malia!" Isaac called out.

"She has a scent." Malia said, looking back at them.

"That works." Deaton said through gritted teeth.

"Malia," Scott said. "Malia, help her."

Esmeray watched her sister look at Scott, something in her eyes moving, before leaving the building.

It takes a while, but the venom starts to leave their system. Esmeray felt her leg move, and she flexed her hand. With a grunt, she got up but her legs gave out. She caught herself and got up again. She quickly helped Stiles up, letting him lean on the table before doing the same for Isaac and Deaton.

Theo entered the room and Esmeray had not hesitation at baring her teeth at him.

"Woah," Theo said, holding out his hands. "I'm here to help."

"Esmeray." Scott wheezed, sitting up. "Esme, stand down."

"How did you know?" she demanded, ignoring Scott.

"I heard what was going on through the rumor mill. Then you guys went missing at school, so I came here on a feeling." Theo explained.

It sounded reasonable but still, something in Esmeray felt suspicious. Hesitantly, she backed down.

"We lost her." Scott groaned.

"And Malia." Isaac added.

"I can help." Theo offered.

"Is this Theo?" Deaton asked, looking at her, Scott, Isaac, and Stiles..

"Yes." Stiles confirmed for the Druid, leveling a cool look at the other boy.

"I can help." Theo insisted. "It doesn't have to mean I'm part of the pack, or like you've accepted me, or anything. It just means I can help catch this girl."

Esmeray was suddenly aware of how she was on Scott's right, with Stiles and Isaac on her other side. In-between her Alpha, willing to accept Theo, and her friend and brother, suspicious of the new arrival.

All three looked at her.

It was her call, after all.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

With deep reluctance, Esmeray let Theo help them. With a Kanima on the loose, the pack would need all the help they could get.

Tracey and Malia's scents lead them straight to the Sheriff's station. The smell of blood hit her nose and Esmeray swiftly quickened up her pace, entering the station. A smear of blood stained the floor. She catalogued the Sheriff being helped to his feat by a deputy.

Her bond with her father tugged and she followed it to the next room.

She froze at what she saw.

Lydia on the ground, bleeding out as her father knelt over her, hands on the strawberry blonde's sight and absorbing the Banshee's pain. The sight threw of her best friend's blood threw caused of the memory of the night of what happened to rise up but she forced it aside. As she rushed over, pulling off her jacket she saw Kira next to Boyd, who was groaning. A slash on his chest told the ravenette what had happened to him.

"Tracey," Lydia gasped as Esmeray took her father's spot, wrapping her jacket around Lydia's injury to act as a tourniquet. "Tracey's—"

"She's a Kanima." Boyd finished.

"We know." the Hale House Fire survivor murmured, absorbing Lydia's pain.

She looked up to see a pale faced Stiles, watching her, watching Lydia paler than usual and blood, Lydia's blood, everywhere.

"Stiles, go. I got this." she instructed, firm and soft at the same time.

I got her back. I won't let her die. was unspoken, but it was heard. Stiles nodded and followed Scott's call.

Natalie Martin approached them, pale faced and Esmeray stopped taking Lydia's pain. "Oh god, Lydia!" Natalie shrieked, running over and putting Lydia's head in her lap.

Esmeray silently acknowledge Natalie, more focused on keeping all the pressure she could on the injury to slow down the bleeding. She could hear sirens coming closer, and let out a sigh of relief when the medics burst into the room.

Esmeray waited with the rest of the pack in the lobby, bouncing her leg as she thought over what Malia had told the pack on the car ride to the hospital. Of what had happened to Tracey, who was now dead.

"There was these people in masks. Three of them." Malia said frantically, running her hands through her hair. "I just managed to get Tracey to realize she wasn't dreaming when they appeared out of nowhere. One of them held me down but the second one injected Tracey with something, and it killed her. It wasn't me—"

"Malia." Isaac said. "We believe you."

Esmeray nodded, meeting Malia's brown eyes through the mirror. "We do."

She looked up at Scott, Liam, and Isaac approached them at the same time as Melissa.

"How bad is it?" Stiles asked immediately, standing up. The wound on his shirt was still red and open, but he didn't care.

"Could have been worse." the nurse answered before turning to Esmeray. "Esmeray, good job with the tourniquet. You're probably the reason she's still alive."

Esmeray nodded.

Melissa turned around. "Lydia will be all right. She's about to go into surgery, so it's going to be a while. Any other supernatural details that I need to know about, or do we just stitch her up and hope for the best?"

"It was a tail." Kira blurted out.

There was a beat of silence and Boyd quickly spoke. "Tracey had a tail and that's what she used to cut Lydia."

"Okay, thanks for the info Boyd, Kira." Melissa said. "I don't know if that makes a difference but if it does, then I'll know."

"There where also the guys with the masks." Malia cut in.

"But they didn't cut up Lydia." Liam pointed out.

Esmeray swiftly stepped in before a fight could break out. "We'll check the bestiary for any mention of the guys you saw."

Malia nodded, looking satisfied.

"Okay, I got to go for the surgery. I want none of you guys to get in trouble for the next twenty four hours." Melissa instructed before walking away.

Kira let out a tiny snort. "No trouble with for the next twenty four hours? Who's she talking to, a perfectly normal group of friends?"

"Normal's boring." Boyd declared and Esmeray laughed, nodding in agreement to her friend's words. The others chuckled or laughed at Boyd's words at well, enjoying the brief levity it brought.

"Any idea why your dad and Deaton want to talk to us?" Scott asked but Esmeray shrugged as she opened the door to the apartment.

"Probably has to deal with Tracey." she answered.

She entered the apartment, followed by her mate and Isaac. She headed to the living room, where her father and Deaton sat on the couches.

"Sorry to take up your time, but this is important." Deaton said. He held up a jar that held claws. "A Werewolf with the talons of an eagle— possibly a shapeshifter known in Eastern mythology as a Garuda."

Her father pointed to another jaw that also contained a set of claws. "Those are Tracey's claws. Without a doubt those are werewolf claws, but she has the ability to secret Kanima venom through them, and she bears the scales of those scaly fuckers."

Isaac sat down on a chair, and Esmeray picked the couch across from her dad and Deaton, Scott sitting next to her. He wrapped her hand with his.

"So then she's a hybrid, like Jackson." Isaac said.

"But even Jackson was affected by mountain ash." Esmeray pointed out.

"And Tracey got past the mountain ash." Scott reminded them. "And we couldn't sense her out as a werewolf like we should've been able to."

"Which means," her father said. "Tracey isn't supernatural.

She caught on to his idea. "She wasn't born like you and I, nor was she bitten like Scott and Isaac. She's an artificial supernatural, a fake. She was made."

Deaton leaned forward. "You're correct, Esmeray. Someone is trying to make supernatural creatures with non-supernatural means. And, whoever they are, they're somehow managing to blur the lines between science and the supernatural."

"Liam said he found another hole in the woods." Scott said.

"Another grave." Isaac corrected.

"It could be part of their creation process." Esmeray suggested.

"Yeah, that's possibly it." Deaton agreed.

"But how are they chosen?" Isaac asked. "That's the main question."

"I don't know." Deaton said. "But I've been living in this world for a very long time. But when something like this happens, it rattles the foundation of everything you believe. Something like this shakes you to the core. The rules have been changed."

"They haven't been changed." Esmeray refuted. "They've just been bypassed."

The next day at school, Theo slid up next to her as she headed down the hall to her first period class, her Starbucks coffee in her hands to help wake her up.

She looked at him. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to know how Lydia was doing. Since you're part of the inner circle and all, but if you aren't then I can go ask—" Theo started.

Esmeray glared at him, getting him to stop in his tracks. "Okay, listen here. Scott might be falling for your charms, but I have not. If your story is genuine then I'm sorry for being suspicious as hell about you. But if you're lying, if you're threatening my pack," she stepped closer, growling. "Then you better run."

She walked away, sipping her coffee.

Esmeray later caught up with Scott, Isaac, Malia, Kira, and Boyd in the library, slipping into the chair next to Scott. Isaac and Malia were huddled over one of the family grimoires while Scott was looking through the Bestiary, with Kira and Boyd doing their homework. Following her pack mates example, she pulled out her own homework as well.

A few minutes later Stiles entered, and she looked up at the same time as Scott as the human approached them.

"Did you get in to see Lydia?" Scott asked.

Stiles shook his head. "No. I tried using my free period, but she's still in the ICU, and no one outside family is allowed in."

Malia spoke up. "We got one thing."

Kira looked up form what seemed to be AP Biology homework. "Anything in here about half-Werewolves, half-Kanimas?"

"Chimeras." Scott said.

Esmeray tilted her head. "You mean that one monster from Greek mythology made up a lion, snake, and goat, which Bellerophon killed."

The entire pack turned to her.

"What?" she said defensively. "My uncle Nicholas told me and the other kids in the pack greek myths. The Chimera stuck out to me."

"Okay, moving on from the fact your uncle told you greek myths as bedtime stories," Stile said, gesturing with his arms. "Which part does is which on the body? Is the head a tiny snake head or a lion—"

"Never mind that," Boyd drawled. "I over heard some of the rangers in the preserve on my way to school about a big hole in the woods they found. Holes don't appear in the preserve out of nowhere so I'm betting it's gotta do with Tracey."

"It does." Isaac said. "Liam told Scott and I that he found another whole similar to the one Tracey crawled out of. The holes, the graves, it's all part of the incubation process for the Chimeras."

Esmeray stepped in, explaining everything that she, her father, Deaton, Scott, and Isaac had theorized the previous night to the rest of the pack.

"Why is it always this town? Can't crazy shit go down in one of the other Nemetons?" Malia grumbled.

"Crazy shit is probably going down at one of the other Nemetons." Stiles pointed out.

"And we're currently dealing with yet another Chimera, which we don't know is made out of, and we can't sense them like we do with other werewolves." Scott said, steering the conversation back on track.

"The people in the masks." Malia said, looking down. "They're the ones digging the graves."

"Since they showed up to kill Tracey and called her 'condition terminal, they're most likely the ones making the Chimeras." Isaac pointed out.

"I can ask my mom." Kira offered. "She's been around for centuries. Maybe she knows something about these guys."

"And we'll keep looking at the Bestiary and the grimoires." Scott finished.

"That's the plan then." Esmeray said, getting nods from the rest of the pack.

Her research session with Scott and her dad ended with Melissa calling them to the hospital.

"This way," Melissa said, leading them through the hospital. "He came in here about forty-five minutes ago. His name's Corey."

A scream tore through the hospital and Esmeray grimaced.

A man she recognized as Liam's stepfather, Doctor Greyer, hurriedly approached Melissa. "Melissa?"

"Yeah?" Melissa asked.

The doctor was giving off distress in waves. "I'm gonna find an anesthesiologist covering acute pain."

Melissa nodded. "See what you can do."

Greyer nodded as well. "Okay."

He ran off and the screaming got louder as Melissa took them to a door. Scott moved ahead, leaning on the door a bit as he turned to his mother.

"Mom, what's happening to him?" Scott asked. Melissa made a helpless gesture. "It's the pain— nothing's working. We've already pumped him full of morphine."

"Can you do something?" Esmeray asked.

The older woman turned to her. "We can put him in a medically-induced coma. It's how we help burn victims deal with the pain."

She swallowed, trying to ignore the thoughts running in her head—don't think about dad, don't think about how lifeless he was, don't think about how utterly quiet he was, don't think about he couldn't respond to her pleads to wake up, don't think about how he was awake the entire time and could hear everything and was trapped in his body but couldn't move— "Okay." she rasped.

Scott took her hand, a steady, comforting presence and lead her into the room. Esmeray saw a boy, Corey, strapped down to his bed, drenched in his sweat and screaming, screaming, screaming.

She let go of Scott's hand to take Corey's hand, absorbing his pain. Corey's pain smashed into her like a tidal wave but she pushed through, taking all the pain she could. The boys screams began to die down the more she absorbed the pain, and she became aware of Scott's hand holding her other hand, taking some of the pain from her.

Seconds, minutes, or hours later, she let go of Corey's hand. She looked up to see Scott's chocolate eyes, alight with pride and softness and she gave a quick smile at him before turning to Melissa.

"What did this?" she asked and the human nurse unwrapped Corey's bandaged arm. She sucked a breath at the sight of the injury— his forearm torn open, the bone visible under layers of blood, skin, and tissue.

"The lab says it was scorpion venom." Melissa told them.

"Scorpion?" Scott repeated, stunned.

Esmeray tilted her head, ransacking her mind for an answer before it came to her. "The person who did this was a girtablilu, a partial Scorpion shapeshifter from ancient Mesopotamia. I think they're still around but they mainly live in the Middle East, it's rare to find outside of the Middle East since they've been living there for thousands of year."

"And what are the chances of one showing up in Beacon Hills?" Scott asked rhetorically.

"Absolutely none." she told him.

"Lucas." a whisper said and she turned around to Corey, who was looking at her. "It was Lucas."

Esmeray took the last remnants of Corey's pain as he explained to them what happed after some gentle prompting from Scott

"I don't really know what happened." Corey explained, fidgeting slightly. "We were taking it really slow— he was the shy one, since it was his first relationship. But... then suddenly, he was acting like a whole new person. He was more confident, more aggressive. We were just kissing, and then I felt this sharp sting on my arm, and... And then I looked up at him, and I swear, his eyes turned black."

She raised her eyebrows. "His eyes were completely black?"

"Yeah!" Corey said. "Just for a second but I thought I was just seeing things. And then he said "Sorry," that he'll see me at the club tonight, and then he just left. And then a few minutes later, I'm in the worst pain of my life."

"Club?" Scott echoed.

"Every Friday night." Corey explained. "The Sinema."

After giving Corey a brief rundown of the supernatural, she and Scott took off for the Sinema. Scott called Kira and Boyd as she drove them as fast as her car could take them.

"A scorpion shapeshifter? Those are a thing?" Kira repeated as the four hurried into the club.

"My grandmother would tell me about creatures in African mythology." Boyd mentioned. "And considering how old the supernatural society is, I'm not surprised if hydra's exist."

"Those don't right?" Scott asked her and she shook her head.

The alarm suddenly blared but Kira threw her metal disc into the air, hitting the alarm and destroying it. It quickly flew back into her hand.

"I love you so much." Boyd said, hearts in his eyes.

Kira blushed. "You're cool too, Boyd!"

A growl suddenly came from inside the club and Esmeray swore violently. She ran ahead, bringing out her claws as her eyes burned gold.

Entering the club, she could see Liam being pinned down by another boy, obviously Lucas by the singers in his arms.

"You're a little late!" Liam snarled.

Esmeray surged forward, full shifting into a wolf as she charged forward. She crashed into Lucas like a lightning ball and threw him off. Still moving, she smoothly shifted back into her human form, using her claws to slow her movement.

"So fucking cool." she heard Mason whisper.

Lucas staggered to his feet, but very much dazed. Scott joined the fray, swinging around the metal support beam to land in another hit on Lucas's side, sending the Chimera flying into the wall.

But the Chimera wasn't out of the fight yet. He charged at Scott but Boyd leaped in, landing a solid punch on Lucas's jaw. It left him open but Scott was there to kick back Lucas.

Esmeray raked her claws down Lucas's back, getting him to scream and swing at her. She dodged both of his strikes, but failed to land another hit of her own.

"What the hell is that thing?" she heard Brett yell.

"A Chimera!" she shouted, but that got Lucas's attention from where he was fighting (and losing to) Scott and Boyd. He lunged at her and she was forced to dodge. She did get another land in- a swipe of her claws that dislodged one of his stingers, causing black blood to pour from the injury, but it left her open.

Luckily, Kira was there to steal Lucas's attention, sword whipping through the air and aura visible for them all to see. "Watashi wa shi no shisha da!" the Thunder Kitsune bellowed and charged, taking over the fight. She quickly swiped at Lucas with her sword, the Chimera taking blows but still standing.

Liam joined the fray and so did Esmeray, using her claws to rip out another one of Lucas's stingers. Scott covered for her when the Chimera tried to strike her, spin kicking the Chimera into the wall with a devastating crack!

Honestly, she was impressed no human had come to investigate their fight.

But Kira didn't stop, lunging for Lucas, her sword out and ready to kill.

"Kira!" Boyd yelled, grabbing his girlfriend's hand. The fox aura faded away but Esmeray kept her full attention on Kira. But her friend seemed back to normal.

"Kira?" the evolved werewolf called out softly, gently approaching the Thunder Kitsune. The other girl met her eyes, normal and wide eyed. Boyd let go of his girlfriend, concern written all over his face.

The ravenette focused her attention back onto Lucas. Scott must have been thinking the same because he stepped forward. "We need to get him out of here."

She joined Scott, hauling Lucas to his feet but wary of his stingers. But then—

She blinked and so she missed it, but the blood still sprayed onto her face. She reflexively let go of Lucas— who now had a harpoon shot straight through his chest.

Esmeray snapped her head in the direction of harpoon was it was reeled back, seeing three masked men standing over them. The atmosphere seemed to glitch around them.

"Why did you do that?" Scott demanded.

The one at the front answered. His voice sounded distorted and warped, unnatural and so wrong. "His condition was terminal."

"What does that even mean?" she asked. The masked man focused on her but she refused to back down.

"Failure."

Then they vanished, leaving behind a dead body and a shaken pack.

Esmeray, covered in blood, felt sick and shaken with trepidation.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

As Esmeray walked up the steps of the school, having arrived with Isaac, she sent off a text to Stiles.

Dark Moon: I didn't find anything in the grimoires. How did the library go?

She frowned, watching the text bubble pop up, disappear, pop up, and then disappear again.

That's strange. she thought but uneasily dismissed it. Stiles would probably tell her it in person, so no one would find it if he lost his phone somehow.

She spotted Lydia and grinned, joining her best friend. "You're back!" she said, hugging the Banshee.

Lydia hugged her back, smiling. "It's good to be back!"

The Hale girl let her go, running her eyes over Lydia. "You're doing okay though, right?"

"I am." the strawberry blonde confirmed. "I'm just a little sore and I have to be mindful of the stitches. And given several of my friends all have more sensitive noses, I can count on you guys warning me, right?"

"Right." the ravenette confirmed. A sudden wave of worry hit her nose, and she looked to see Isaac and Malia walking over, both wearing grim faces.

Esmeray resisted the urge to scream.

Someone had written a book uncannily similar to the events similar to the ones going down in Beacon Hills. Eerily similar.

The author?

Gabriel Valack.

"I don't think it's the Dread Doctors." Scott said.

Esmeray looked up from her Calculus homework. "Why's that?"

"It just makes since." Scott explained. "The doctors killed Tracey and left. They killed Lucas and just walked away."

Her brain whirled, thinking over what Scott was saying. "You're right. Whoever's snatching the bodies is someone else cleaning up after the Dread Doctors. Someone who doesn't want anyone to find out about the supernatural world."

She pushed away her math homework, thinking quickly over the types of guardian spirits in mythology. None of the ones she knew about fit-given they were mostly treasure guardians.

Scott chuckled and she looked at him. "What?"

"Nothing," Scott said, still smiling. "You're cute when you think."

Esmeray blushed furiously before clearing her throat. "Not to be negative, but do we have to go visit Valak?"

"He's kinda the only one who has some kind of idea of the Dread Doctors. It's worth a shot." Scott pointed out.

She sighed. "I hate it when you're right about things like this. But I don't like it. I... I just have this really bad feeling."

"Oh so you're a Jedi now?" Scott joked.

"If I'm a Jedi, are you the Chosen One?" she teased, earning a soft blush from Scott.

"You're cute when you blush." she teased dryly earning a mock glare from her mate.

Esmeray felt sadness coming down her bond with Boyd so she tracked him down before lunch was over.

Her pack mate was sitting still, looking out into nothing. Esmeray could smell Theo's scent, and it was fresh.

"You think it ever gets easier?" Boyd asked. "The pain?"

She remembered what Boyd had told them, after what had happened at the Glen Capri Motel, what he had hallucinated.

His dead sister Alicia.

Today was the tenth anniversary of her death.

"It doesn't." she said, sitting down next to him. "But we keep going, because as easy as it might to just drown in the grief we have to keep going. Keep living for them."

She gently squeezed Boyd's hand and he squeezed back. They sat in silence together, mourning their dead relatives but also appreciating the memories they had of their loved ones.

"You don't have to come to the Eichen house." she offered.

Boyd shook his head. "No. Kira... I'm worried for her. I won't fail her like I failed Alicia. I won't fail you guys."

She frowned. "You didn't fail Alicia, Boyd. You were a child. The fault lies in those horrible men who decided to end her life before she even got the chance to live. Is it my fault that Kate burned down the Hale House just to get me?"

"No—"

"Then why is it your fault that Alicia is dead?" she said, firmly but gently.

Boyd was quiet before smiling, even though there was some tears in his eyes. "Thanks, Esme."

"Anytime."

"Let me say this again: I. Do. Not. Like. This. Place." Esmeray said firmly, glaring up at the building.

"No one does." Boyd agreed, leaning on her car as she sat on the hood. Scott and Stiles stood next to them, leaning against Stiles's jeep.

"Are you doing okay?" Scott asked Stiles and she turned to the conversation.

"Yeah, why?" Stiles asked.

"You just seem a bit under the weather." Scott offered. "You can tell us what it is if you want, Stiles."

"We're pack." the blue eyed girl said firmly.

"It's fine. And I think we're all a little off, given what's been happening." Stiles pointed out.

"Some more than others." Boyd said.

She opened her mouth but Scott beat her to it. "You mean Kira."

"She said something in Japanese at the Sinema, and then again last night when I was at her house." the usually quiet werewolf explained.

"That doesn't sound too bad." Stiles said.

"She doesn't even know any Japanese." Boyd pointed out.

"Maybe it's something all Kitsune just know intuitively? Like her fighting when we first met her." Stiles pointed out.

"She did go a little... wild at the club. You had to stop her from killing Lucas." Esmeray murmured softly. "She nearly took off his head."

Stiles didn't looked fully convinced. "Maybe she had no other choice? There's gotta be a point where self-defense is justified. Tracy killed her own father, and Lucas would have killed you."

Scott didn't looked deterred. "They're not the bad guys— they're the victims. We shouldn't be killing the people we're supposed to save."

Stiles couldn't shoot back a retort as the gates suddenly swung open.

After giving up their phones, she followed Conrad Fenris down the stairs and into a hallway, a heavy, tense silence burdening the air. Suddenly, she rammed into an invisible force.

She stumbled back before righting herself. "Mountain ash. Clever."

"It keeps them in." Fenris said.

Stiles and Lydia looked nervous.

"You guys go ahead. We'll wait right here until you guys come back." Scott promised.

The two looked more calm and followed the older man further down the hallway.

"I can't hear anything. Must be the mountain ash." Scott said.

She felt the looks directed at her and she shook her head. "No, mountain ash just traps a supernatural or keeps them out. But the essence of juniper mixed with lavender can create a barrier of silence that not even someone with supernatural can hear through."

"Did your... old house have it?" Boyd asked.

She nodded. "All the bedrooms and the Alpha's office had it mixed into the wood. But the hallways, the living room, the basement, those were fair game."

"I kinda feel a bit weak." Kira said. "Do you guys feel it?"

Frowning, Esmeray focused her senses and did find them more... dulled. "Yeah. That's definitely the mountain ash. If heavily concentrated into a single spot, it can," she paused to search for the word. "Muffle a supernatural's powers."

"Ladies and gentleman, the library of the supernatural, always there with helping hand a clever piece of knowledge." Scott quipped.

She shot him a cheeky smile. "That means I know more than you do when I need it."

That got a laugh from her companions before the mood sobered.

"You think Stiles and Lydia okay?" Kira asked.

"It's Stiles and Lydia. They'll definitely be okay." Scott said confidently.

"I'm pretty sure they could achieve world domination." Esmeray said earnestly.

Boyd nodded. "If Lydia ever runs for President, she'll definitely have my vote."

The lights suddenly flickered.

"Guys?" Kira said, suddenly nervous.

The evolved werewolf paled at the lightning crackling at her friend's fingers.

"I swear that I'm not doing anything, it's just happening!" Kira said frantically.

"Kira." Esmeray said firmly. "Kira, just breath. Think about whatever calms you down, take deep breaths, and breath."

"Think about us." Boyd encouraged. "Our first date!"

Kira smiled and nodded, breathing in and out. The lightning calmed down.

Only for it to surge out and smash into her, Scott, and Boyd.

She had vivid flashbacks about a certain night before blacking out.

Groaning, Esmeray's blue eyes flickered open. Grunting, she pushed herself up.

She could hear heavy footsteps and the same glitch that she had felt the night Lucas died hit her full force.

Scott was awake and on his feet and she heard Boyd groan from his spot next to her. She helped him to his feet.

"We need to go!" Fenris shouted as the footsteps got louder, as the feeling of danger got stronger, as her inner wolf howled even more thunderously for her to run.

By the looks on Scott and Boyd's faces, they felt it too.

"Not without Kira!" Boyd snapped, shoving forward to pick up his girlfriend, lightning to racing over her body. The footsteps got louder and Esmeray swore under her breath.

She spotted a door and kicked it open. "This way!"

She ran in, sensing Boyd follow. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Scott close the door. She spread out her sense and detected Lydia and Stiles make their escape.

"Come on!" Scott called and they ran up the stairs, racing for the exit.

They ran and ran until they made it out and Esmeray sucked in the fresh air, shaking all over.

Stiles and Lydia emerged only a few seconds behind them and Scott staggered over to them. "You two okay?"

"Yeah." Stiles said. "And we really need to read that book."

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

I should be getting to class. Esmeray thought as the lingered on one of the upper level hallways. But she remained, basking in the late fall sunlight.

It was where Scott found her. "Hey." he greeted and she smiled back. He took the spot next to her and she rested her head on his shoulder, their fingers intertwining.

Theo walked over to them and she bit back a scowl. "Am I interrupting something?"

Yes. Esmeray thought but Scott shook his head. "No."

Her mate sighed. "The Sheriff found eight new holes in the lacrosse field."

While the evolved werewolf knew this, as the Sheriff had told the entire pack, she didn't feel comfortable sharing this with Theo. Something about the boy made her uneasy, suspicious.

Theo's eyes widened. To her gaze, it seemed a little too shocked, a little too dramatic. "Eight new holes? Are you kidding me."

"No Theo, the Sheriff didn't find any holes. Yes, there are eight holes and that means there are eight Chimera's on the loose." Esmeray snarked.

Scott sent her a warning nudge but she ignored it. Theo gave her a quick, millisecond look, but she saw it. It was... assessing, like someone observing an obstacle and trying to figure out a way to get rid of it.

It just sharpened her unease.

"They're all here, most likely. So we have to keep an eye out." Scott, either not picking up or not acknowledging the sudden tension.

"So, basically, we're looking for abnormal behavior?" Theo stated.

The True Alpha nodded. "Anyone acting a little off or a little weird."

"This is a high school, Scott." she teased gently. "Everyone here is a little weird."

He ducked his head, a light blush staining his cheeks. "Yeah."

"But," she drummed her fingers on the railing. "You do have a point. We can keep a look out for signs of the supernatural, or faux-supernatural in this case. Signs such as reactions to super senses, sudden increase of speed, strength, or other physical attributes, quick healing, or involuntary shape shifting."

"Like me when I turned." Scott said thoughtfully. "You were able to pick me out because you saw me the night I was bitten, and Derek could sense I was a werewolf, but I was also reacting to having newly increased senses. Anyone who knew would have been able to pick me out."

"Exactly." Esmeray said, standing up straighter.

Scott got up, eyes gleaming with determination. "Let's tell the pack."

"What about the book?" Theo asked and she turned her focus back on him.

She narrowed her eyes at him, mentally noting how he was trying to veer the conversation away from the Chimeras. "We're going to read it later."

"Yeah, at my house." Scott said.

"Okay." Theo said, stepping away as if going to his class. "I just hope we can figure this out. I don't want to see this pack fall apart."

That just made Esmeray's non-existent hackles go up.

As the sun set over Beacon Hills, Peter stopped her and Isaac before they could leave the apartment to go to Scott's house.

"Why should I read this again?" he asked, holding up the book. "If my mind suppressed some kind of memory, it probably did it for a reason."

"It should trigger the memory processors of the brain." Esmeray explained.

Isaac stepped in. "The memory... its just something you want someone to be with you when you do experience it."

He hadn't told them what he had remembered, but it was obviously something to do with his birth family. The pack were patiently waiting for him to find the right time to tell them.

Her dad frowned but nodded. "Alright. Just... be safe, the two of you."

She crossed the space between them to hug him tightly. Isaac joined in. "We will." she promised.

Several copies of The Dread Doctors were laid out on the living room table of the McCall house. The pack stood assembled around it.

Lydia broke the tension in the air. "My mom's book club usually has more wine."

Stiles was the first to answer. "Well, they also probably didn't read books that cause violent hallucinations..."

"That's why Malia and Isaac are here." Scott said, smiling at the werecoyote and werewolf, both of whom smiled back.

Kira cleared her throat. "So none of us go running into traffic or try and claw off your skin?"

"Or worse." the ravenette said, thinking of Tracey.

"Like what happened to Judy." Malia said. She elaborated. "Chapter fourteen."

"Maybe I should have my mother read it." Lydia said, leaning forward to pick up one of the copies. "She might remember a girl with a tail leaping off the ceiling and attacking everyone."

"On the chance it does work." Boyd said.

"It has too." Lydia said, a little desperate.

"Lyds?" Esmeray asked softly.

Lydia looked at her. "I think I saw them during my surgery. When I look at the cover of the book, it's almost like..."

Theo spoke. "A memory trying to surface."

"Yeah." Lydia confirmed.

She narrowed her eyes at Theo. Because that sounded a lot like someone who already knew the answer.

"Isn't that what Valack wanted when he wrote it?" Kira spoke and the evolved werewolf acknowledged the very good reason the Thunder Kitsune just gave.

Determination flooded off Lydia. "If they did something to me, I want to know what it is."

Esmeray picked up a copy. "Let's get started, then."

Her gaze slipped over the words, finding them dull as hell. But there was something... itching, in the back of her mind the further she read.

"Anyone feeling anything yet?" Scott asked form his spot next to her on the couch.

"Tired." Kira added.

"Hungry." Lydia finished.

"I think he meant the book." Theo suggested from his spot in an armchair.

"I'll make coffee." Isaac called from the kitchen.

"Best brother ever!" Esmeray informed him with a smile.

"Only brother!" Isaac responded, grinning as well.

"Just wait until they get married and I'm her brother in law! I'll take the best uncle title!" Stiles declared.

Esmeray felt herself blush and looking at Scott he was turning red as well.

"I'll be the responsible uncle, then." Boyd said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Boyd!" she grumbled but she still found it sweet and touching.

Isaac made coffee and the night continued. Esmeray curled up next to Scott, resting her head on his shoulder as she read the book. When she finished, she pressed herself against him and fell asleep.

It was dark when she and Isaac prepared to go home, but Boyd stopped them outside her car.

"I didn't fall asleep like everyone else. Theo was... waiting, I think, for everyone to fall asleep. I was curious to see what he was doing so I faked going to sleep." Boyd told them, face grim and voice low.

"What did he do?" she asked, keeping her voice low as well.

"He went upstairs."

She glanced at the house before whispering. "Kira was upstairs."

Boyd nodded. "I don't think he did something to her, not with a house filled with people who have super hearing, but he wanted something from her."

"We need to keep our guards up around him." she said firmly.

"Scott won't believe us." Isaac said. "He thinks Theo is in the all clear. So do Malia and Kira. I think Stiles is trusting him now too but there's something just off about him I don't like."

She took a breath before looking at the house again. "Then we keep an eye on him for them."

"What if we need some kind of trigger?" Scott said as he, Stiles, Kira, Boyd, and herself walked through the doors. "Wasn't Malia driving when she remembered the crash? And Isaac freaked when he was shoved into a really close space?"

"Yeah, but how are we supposed to trigger a memory that we don't remember?" Stiles said.

"We don't try and rush it." Esmeray spoke. "We go about our day and if we don't rush it, then the universe will probably work with us and it will happen."

"That's a good plan." Boyd agreed.

The lights suddenly flickered and she turned to Kira, the boys doing the same. "I swear that wasn't me." Kira swore and Esmeray believed her.

"You're telling the truth." she confirmed. "Okay, the Dread Doctors are probably here or one of the Chimera's has some kind of electricity power."

"Everyone in the pack except Kira rolls a minus 20 on the electricity immunity." Stiles reminded them.

"Yeah but we're probably stronger than a Chimera. We're all born or bitten supernaturals, a Banshee with a sixth sense for death, and one very strong, very intelligent, human. My guess is that these faux-supernatural won't have the full strength proper supernaturals do, or have the wits of Stiles who can use his brain to get out of any situation." the blue eyed girl explained.

"I think you're right on that." Scott agreed. He turned to them all. "We keep an eye on each other today, okay?"

Stiles nodded. "Yes, and keep an eye out for eight other potentially homicidal Chimeras."

"And keep an eye out for the Dread Doctors." Kira finished.

They all split up but Stiles was the first to leave, escaping into the sea of students. Esmeray was about to go after him when the five minute bell rang. Cursing, she made her way to her first period class but not before throwing a concerned look in Stiles's direction.

She got through her first period class, but as she headed down the hallways she felt her mating bond with Scott flare. She quickly began running through the hallways, following the bond to Mrs.Finch's room, where a commotion had spilled out into the hallways.

The ravenette shoved her way through the crowd, and saw Scott, gasping and wheezing. "Scott!" she yelled, dashing to his side.

"Esme..." Scott got out, grabbing her wrist. "I'm here." she murmured, subtly siphoning his pain.

She turned to the crowd. "What the fuck are you doing? Get an inhaler!"

Several students broke off but as the minutes bled by and no one came, her worry heightened. The added panic from the rest of the pack bonds worsened it.

Then there was Liam, gasping but an inhaler in hand. He tossed it to her and she gave it to Scott, helping her boyfriend get the breath back into his lungs.

She helped Scott to his feet before pulling Liam into a tight hug. "Thank you." she said once she let the younger Beta go.

"Liam, thank you." Scott rasped, still gripping the table.

Liam nodded, looking worried, yet relieved and happy.

Isaac found her and Scott in the boys locker room.

"Boyd went with Stiles and Lydia to the hospital." he explained. "Claimed that while 'they're 100% likely to survive anything working together' it was best to have back up in case 'shit went down in the hospital because it's always the hospital when stuff goes down.' They accepted pretty quick."

"Boyd's not wrong." Esmeray said. "The hospital is always when something goes down."

She glanced at Scott, who spinning the inhaler in his hand. She put her hand over his for a few seconds before letting go and he shot her a thankful look. "I got my memory." Scott said, looking up at the ceiling before at them.

"It wasn't about the Dread Doctors. It was about me and my old dog, Roxie. She was a stray, and... the last thing my parents and I got on our last Christmas together before... before the divorce. I think it took place after the divorce because I was walking her, when this dog, this a doberman, attacked us. Roxie, she tried to protect me but she didn't make it out. The stress and the panic, it sent me into an asthma attack and I had to go to the hospital."

"Jesus." Isaac whispered and Scott nodded weakly. She took his hand and sent down a wave of comfort down the mating bond, and Scott leaned into her.

It was quiet like that, just the three of them- Stiles and the rest of the pack missing, but her sharp hearing heard foot steps approach the door, the door open, and then someone walk over to them.

Theo suddenly appeared and she resisted the urge too groan, and she saw Isaac briefly scowl.

"You okay?" Theo asked, his attention completely focused on Scott.

"Yeah, um... I think it was just the memory hitting me," he glanced at her and Isaac, "Some kind of psychosomatic thing."

Esmeray pointedly did not think about the bathroom, the black blood, and the night that followed.

Theo lingered and Scott noticed it. "Did you want to talk about something?"

The other boy subtly glanced at her and Isaac before looking at Scott. The minor distrust clear to her, but she was sure Scott didn't catch it.

She really nodded to warn Scott about Theo.

"No, it can wait." Theo said.

Scott was insistent. "No, no, it's okay. What's up?"

"Last night, you guys all fell asleep. I went upstairs to check on Kira." Esmeray tugged on her pack bond with Isaac and he tugged back, obviously getting the signal. "She was sleeping, but..." Theo trailed off, obviously purposefully.

Scott caught on. "You heard her speaking Japanese."

"I didn't just hear it." the other boy said. He held out his phone and a recording played, the words soft but obviously Kira's words. "Watashi... wa shi... no shishada..."

"That's what she said at the club." Esmeray realized, recognizing the words.

"I found a website that can translate it. It means, roughly... 'I am the Messenger of Death.'" Theo explained.

Scott looked away, mouth slightly parted and eyes on the floor.

"I think," Esmeray said, before Theo could say any more. "We tell Kira and then we tell Noshiko. She's a Kitsune and probably knows what's going on."

"We do that." Isaac agreed and Scott nodded. "That's the best bet." her mate agreed.

A dark looked played over Theo's face but before Esmeray could decipher it, it was gone. "Are we sure? Isn't Noshiko really busy?"

"Kira is Noshiko's daughter." Isaac snapped back.

"Isaac." Scott murmured and Isaac backed down, however reluctantly.

The light's suddenly flickered and a spark drifted down. The boys stood up but Esmeray—

Esmeray wasn't in the school any more.

Fire burned at her skin and she screamed in pain and in fear. "DAD! AUNT TALIA! UNCLE JASON! DAD! UNCLE CALEB! UNCLE NICHOLAS!" she screamed as she raced out of her room. She could hear screams from the basement and she screamed even louder.

A piece of flaming wood crashed down from the ceiling. She dodged it but a large chunk of fire hit her back.

Esmeray screamed as her shirt burned and she screamed and cried as she kept running, as her back burned. She stumbled and her hands suddenly were on fire too. She let out a shriek, a howl as something inside her woke up, as smells and noises assaulted her senses and she could feel her skin healing but breaking apart as the fire kept burning her.

"DAD!" she screamed again.

Then he was there.

Peter snatched her away from the flames but her body was still in so much pain. "It's okay, Stardust. I got you."

She sobbed and cried and screamed, shaking in pain as the racked her body. "I'm scared."

"That's okay." Peter said. "But don't worry. I'll get out out of here."

He spun around and she screamed as he ran through a massive wall of fire and suddenly, they were crashing through the window, the fire burning at their skin, and falling to the ground. She screamed again as they hit the ground, crying out.

Esmeray kept screaming as the firefighters and police and paramedics arrived, as they loaded her into an ambulance.

She kept screaming until something knocked her out.

"ESMERAY!" someone roared and she reflexively unsheathed her claws and swung. There was a yelp but she forced herself to her legs— her vision was blurry and fuck where was her dad, where was he—

"Esmeray." a softer voice said and she turned to him, following her the mating bond and—

"Scott?" she rasped, blinking and seeing her boyfriend/mate come into focus.

She threw herself into him and held him tight, shaking. His arms encircled her, holding her close. She breathed in his scent and checked on all of her pack bonds, on her dad's bond.

But still—

"My dad." she croaked. "I saw—"

"The fire." Scott finished for her.

"Not just that." she said, letting go to sit down. "I saw the exact moment my powers woke up, when I got my scars, and when we escaped the house."

She knew he was alive, she knew it through the pack bond but she needed to see him—

"I need to see him." she said.

"That's okay." Isaac said. Theo looked a little pale and wide eyed, and this time, it seemed genuine.

"Go find him." Scott said and she nodded, handing Isaac the keys to her car as she left the locker room.

She walked to the apartment, and her dad turned to her the moment she entered. "Stardust," he said. "You okay?"

Esmeray let out a choked, half sob half laugh, and crossed the distance between them, pulling him into a tug so tight she could feel her bones creak but she didn't care.

Alive, alive alive, alive, alive, alive. her inner wolf sang.

Her dad was alive.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray skipped the rest of school, staying in the apartment with her dad. She told him about what she had seen, what memory the book had triggered.

He told her he had seen the fire as well, the memory playing exactly to the point when he had briefly blacked out as his werewolf healing submerged himself into a coma, before he had clawed his way back to consciousness, only to be trapped in his body.

"I've never forgotten how cold it was. How still it was." he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But fuck, that was horribly detailed."

"I'll never let you experience something like that again." Esmeray vowed.

Peter nodded. "And I won't let you or Isaac or Malia have to undergo it as well."

They spent the day together, refusing to let the horrible memories drag them back down and letting their presences remind each other that they had made it out, that they were alive.

She also made sure to text Noshiko about Kira's situation, and got a text back from the ancient Kitsune, promising to look into it.

When Isaac got back from the animal clinic, telling them what had gone down, the three had a prompt to movie night.

(Malia should've made four)

But of course, the world kept spinning and she wasn't surprised when she got a call from Liam, begging her to come to the McCall house, to help a new Chimera: Hayden Romero.

Esmeray ran through the woods in her wolf form, coming up to the McCall house. She shifted back into her human form with ease, walking up to the back door and entering the house.

She followed the scents of Stiles, Scott, and Liam upstairs. "Hey." she greeted them softly, and her eyes turned to the door to the bathroom connected to Scott's room, and the rapidly beating heart on the the other side.

"She won't come out." Liam said helplessly.

"Let me try." the ravenette said quietly and strode up to the door, slightly rapping on it. "Hayden? It's me, Esmeray Hale."

No response.

"I can understand your fear— Scott went through the same when turned. You've got an animal under your skin, a whole new set of instincts clashing with the human ones's your used to." she paused. "I was ten, when I got my powers. I had been told my whole life what it was like, how to adjust, how to work with it, that because I was a born werewolf, my mind and body would adjust to it easily, but it was still so scary. It's always scary, no matter how old you are, how you become a werewolf. Especially if you're alone when it happens, like I was. But it doesn't have to be that way for you."

Again, there was no response but her sharp wolf hearing could hear Hayden's muffled footsteps approach the door, her keen senses feel the slight pressure as Hayden leaned against the door.

"Hayden," she said quietly. "I know you might not believe this, that you might not want to join this pack, but there's no out on getting rid of your powers. We can help you learn how to get a hold on these, how to work with your inner wolf, or inner animal in your case, because that's how you best handle your powers. Not control, but by working with it."

The other girl finally opened the door, golden eyes and claws out and fear in her eyes.

The ravenette very calmly stepped forward, took her wrists, and didn't let go when the younger girl tried to pull away. "If you're going to say that you're dangerous, all werewolves are dangerous. We are predators, but we are not monsters. Just breath, okay? Just breath, reach out to your inner animal, and work with it."

"Think about something or someone that makes you important, something that anchors you." Scott said, slowly approaching them. "An emotion, a memory, a person."

Hayden closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths. When she opened her eyes, they were brown, and her claws retracted.

Esmeray smiled. "That's good progress, Hayden."

Hayden smiled back.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." Esmeray said.

Scott spoke, addressing the new Chimera. "Hayden, whenever you feel emotional or like you're going to turn, just think about your anchor. Mine is my sense of self and identity, and so is Esmeray's."

"Mason's mine." Liam revealed.

"Val." Hayden said soft. "Valerie, my sister. I thought about her and... and everything seemed a lot more calmer."

"That's what it feels like." the Hale girl agreed. She kissed Scott goodnight and headed outside.

She spotted Stiles heading to his jeep and joined him. "How have you been doing?"

Stiles blinked, jumping a bit. "Um, good, why?"

"You're my friend." she said. "Can't I checked up on you?"

"I'm fine." Stiles said. He paused, before turning to her. "If you were fighting someone, and killing them was the only option, what would you do?"

She blinked. "If it was killing in self defense, then yeah, I would've. I killed that Hunter in the warehouse during the Deadpool, and a lot of werewolves have killed in self defense. If you had to kill someone in self defense, then I wouldn't mind— as long as it was self defense."

Stiles relaxed a bit. "Okay, thanks."

"Why did you ask?"

"I just," Stiles rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm a human in a pack of shapeshifters with a ton of people coming after us. I just thought... what if I had to kill someone one day to protect myself, to protect you guys."

"Then you have to do it." Esmeray said. "And we'll hide the body."

The human let out a laugh, and it was a genuine laugh.

"You know you can tell me if there's something bothering you? Scott too." she said.

Something shifted in Stiles's eyes. "I know, but I got it. See you at the pack meeting tomorrow?"

She wanted to question Stiles but she sighed internally and nodded. "See you at the pack meeting tomorrow."

"Telluric currents?" Isaac repeated. "We're going to use those again?"

"It does make since." Boyd pointed out. "Lydia here theorized that the Dread Doctors have some kind of difficultly with the currents. It can keep the Dread Doctors out."

"Exactly." Scott said. "And... maybe we can catch one?"

"How do we catch one?" Liam asked.

"I can be bait." Hayden offered.

"You don't have to." Esmeray shot down.

Malia nodded in agreement. "I've seen enough movies to know that being the bait means you're not going to do so hot in the third act."

"I can do it." Hayden insisted. "I want to know why they're doing this, and you guys can get some info out of them."

"She's right." Stiles agreed. "We need some more info on them."

There were (heavily) reluctantly murmurs of agreement.

"I can call Chris." she offered. "See if the Argents know anything."

"That would be for the best." Scott agreed. "And if Hayden's going to be bait, then she should have some back up."

"I can do it." Liam said.

Scott nodded. "Alright then. Lydia here has a plan to disrupt their frequency."

Lydia cleared her throat. "We're going to try and disrupt the Dread Doctor's frequency. Parrish agreed to take some cell phone jammers and broaden their frequency range. Boyd and I will be helping him with that, since I've read about acoustics and Boyd here is good at mechanics."

"Theo's going to be watching Josh's body." Isaac said, but looked distinctly displeased about it.

"Actually," Stiles said. "I have an idea on how to learn who's taking the body's. I can put up my phone in the room and then stake out the clinic."

"That's a good idea." Esmeray said, though she disliked the idea of leaving Stiles alone with Theo. Stiles was more than capable of taking care of and defending himself, but she had no trust of Theo, and loathed the idea of leaving Stiles alone with an unknown variable in the game.

"It's Stiles's idea, of course it is." Scott said and that got a smile out of Stiles.

"What about Kira?" Malia asked.

Boyd sighed. "Kira has some... issues, with her powers. And since the Dread Doctor's used her to bypass the telluric currents, she thinks it's best not to risk it again."

"Fair point." Isaac sighed.

"Everyone knows the plan?" Scott said and Esmeray nodded, as did the rest of the pack. "Okay then, let's get to work."

Once they had what they needed, the pack spent the rest of the Saturday afternoon to set up at the school. Afternoon turned into night, and everyone got into position.

Her dad stood at the back entrance with Boyd, Parrish was to keep watch in the parking lot, Isaac would keep guard at the front entrance, and Malia, one of the fastest of the were-creatures, would be patrolling the corridors. Esmeray, Scott, Liam, and Lydia would protect Hayden.

"I hope this works." Liam muttered.

"It has too." Scott answered.

"And if it doesn't?" Hayden asked.

Esmeray spoke. "Then we're fucked."

The hours ticked by and Hayden began looking nervous and went through her bag.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked.

"I forget my pills back home. They're for my liver transplant, to make sure my body doesn't reject it. I have some spares in my locker." Hayden explained.

Esmeray couldn't help but focus in on that. Didn't Tracey have an allogeneic skin graft?

She cleared her throat. "Was your transplant allogeneic?"

"Yeah, why?" the Chimera confirmed, confusion painted all over her face.

"Tracey had an allogeneic skin graft." she answered.

Scott turned to her. "You mean that—"

"Yeah." she said grimly.

"What?" Liam asked, looking confused as understanding dawned over Lydia's face.

"I think," the evolved werewolf explained. "That the Dread Doctor's are choosing teenagers who have two sets of human DNA. The Dread Doctors are choosing Genetic Chimera's to be their test subjects."

"That makes since." Lydia said. "Chimera's in mythology are made up of multiple parts. Choosing a genetic Chimera could possible give any... potential the ability to survive."

"What if skin grafts aren't strong enough?" Hayden wondered. "What if you need to have an organ transplant?"

"I knew Josh when I was younger." Liam piped up. "We were on the little leagues baseball team. He had to skip a season for some kind of transplant... it was a cornea transplant I think? And in hindsight, it was obviously an allogeneic transplant."

"Well, we know which teenagers are picked for being experimented on, but I need my pills." Hayden said.

"I can get them." the True Alpha offered, getting to his feet. "What's your locker combination?"

Hayden looked relieved. "It's 15-3-25."

Scott nodded and headed for the door. The blue eyed girl grabbed his wrist before he left.

"Be safe." Esmeray murmured.

"I will be." Scott promised and left.

She returned to her spot on the bench, eyes fixed on the door. She tensed, feeling something in the air shift as the minutes dragged on. Lydia headed to the door, giving Esmeray a stern Stay here look and left the room.

Her instincts screamed at her and she got up, motioning for Hayden and Liam to do the same. "We need to move."

Just then she heard Lydia fall and the door swung open, the air full of static and shifting as a Dread Doctor stood before them.

"Run!" Esmeray yelled and charged the Dread Doctor.

He held up his hand and blasted her with a blast of electricity. She howled in pain as her muscles locked and she shuddered, falling to the floor. She still glared at him as he approached her.

"You are strong." the Dread Doctor said.

The Dread Doctor grabbed the cell phone jammer and threw it to the ground before crushing it with his cane. She heard Liam's how and Hayden's scream, and turned to see two more Dread Doctors.

"But we are on a frequency you can't possible imagine." the Dread Doctor declared.

He grabbed her and slammed her to the ground.

Esmeray groaned, opening her eyes to see the dark, damp place she was in, and a tube stuck in her arm. She followed the tube to a machine pumping something, but not wolfsbane, into her that made her feel drowsy and weak. She craned her neck to see Liam waking up, also hooked up to another machine.

"Esmeray?" he rapsed. "W-Where's Hayden?"

She shook her head. "I don't know." she answered and looked around. Her blue gaze found Hayden strapped down to an operating table, staring at them helplessly.

"Fuck." she cursed. "Hayden!"

"I can't move!" the younger girl cried.

The Dread Doctor's emerged from a different room and began to converge on Hayden.

"No, no, no! Don't!" Liam cried out. "Don't hurt her! Hayden! Hayden!"

Esmeray roared, trying to signal to the pack where she was, where Hayden and Liam where, but one of the Dread Doctor's turned to her.

"They won't hear you." he said before turning to Hayden.

And then they began the experiments on Hayden.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray sat up as the doctors kept experimenting on Hayden, yanking at the tube in her arm.

"Her condition worsens." one of the Dread Doctors said, as if commenting on a pair of shoes.

"If it is, then stop hurting Hayden!" she snapped, trying to pull out on the tube inserted into her arm.

"Stop hurting her!" Liam added, frantically pulling on the tube inserted into him as well.

The Doctors paused before one walked over to her at Liam. She snarled, trying to angle herself so she was a barrier between her pack-mate and the Dread Doctor.

The Doctor merely grabbed her head and smashed it into the floor.

When the ravenette woke up, Hayden was lying on the ground in-between them. The younger girl groaned in pain, stirring.

"Hayden." she said sitting up. "Hayden, are you okay?"

"It hurts." the younger girl whimpered.

Liam turned to her. "Can you—"

"I can." she said and reached out her hand to Hayden's left hand. The Chimera retracted it, looking at her nervously.

"I can take your pain, Hayden." she explained.

Hayden smiled a bit and nodded, looking a Liam.

"All werewolves can. Liam take her hand. Then focus on wanting to draw away the pain, taking it into your body." she instructed.

Liam did as told, gently taking Hayden's free hand. Black veins danced across his hand as he took Hayden's pain before letting go, gasping.

"That was cool." Hayden whispered, smiling. It faded as she looked around. "Why are they doing this to us?"

Esmeray sighed. "I don't know. I honestly don't know."

But she turned to the two teenagers. "But we're going to get out of here."

What felt like hours ticked by and Esmeray continued to pull out the tube inserted into her arm, glancing over her shoulder every few minutes to check for the Dread Doctors. Finally, she pulled it entirely out, shuddering as the black liquid seeped out of her body and her skin closed.

"Ah!" Liam grunted. Her blue eyes flickered over to Hayden and Liam, the former helping the latter get the tube out.

"I'm sorry!" Hayden whispered.

"It's okay. I'll heal." Liam said.

"I'm free." Esmeray spoke. "Come on, let's go."

The air turned heavy with electricity and she paled, whipping her head around to see the three forms of the Dread Doctors.

"Run." she hissed and lunged at the Dread Doctors. She dodged the blast of electricity and pounced, slamming her claws into his mask. Pulling them out, she could see an aged face and ancient, dark eye through the cracks.

"What... who are you." she said.

She sensed someone approach her from behind and she jumped off him, but the second Dread Doctor still grabbed her arm and electrocuted her.

When Esmeray woke up, she groaned, gingerly sitting up, her muscles still sore. That electricity hadn't been enough to seriously hurt her, but it still hurt. She grabbed her head, feeling the throbbing head ache her regeneration tried to heal. She glanced around, taking in the still forms of Hayden and Liam, the gas canisters, and the barbed wire fence blocking the exit that smelled of electricity.

A new scent hit her nose and she turned to the stranger who held up his hands, hidden in the shadows. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Zach. You?"

"Esmeray." she said.

"Hayden?" she heard Liam whisper and she turned to her pack-mate and Hayden. "Hayden, wake up."

"Where are we?" Hayden responded.

"Somewhere new." Esmeray said, getting up and sitting down next to them, taking the spot closest to the fence to act as a makeshift barrier. She gestured to Zach, who waved. "This is Zach."

Liam nodded but looked at the fence with interest.

"Don't." Esmeray said. "It's an electric fence. Werewolves don't mix well with electricity, remember?"

Liam sighed. "Dammit."

"That sums up this entire situation pretty well." Zach said. "Uh, so I'm one of the experiments too. The guys in the mask, they took something off my back. I don't know what it was, but I can feel part of it still there."

"You want us to look at it?" Esmeray drawled.

"If you're willing."

"Sure." Liam said and Zach scooted into the light, turning around. He lifted up his jacket and shirt to expose his back and she gasped.

The stubs of wings were perched on his shoulder blades.

"So werewolves are real." Zach repeated.

Esmeray nodded, trying to be gentle since the boy had, against his will, had wings added then removed from his back and was now processing the fact that the supernatural existed.

"You and Liam are both werewolves, born and bitten respectively."

"Yup." Liam said, popping the 'p'.

"And Hayden is a Chimera like me but without wings. Just no idea what parts she is."

"I think she's part werewolf." Esmeray said. Hayden looked at her in confusion. "Werewolves can sense each other. For you it's a bit muddled, but it's clearer now. So you're definitely half werewolf."

"But no idea on what I am." Zach said, rubbing his face. "And because the guys in the masks doing these crimes against nature took off my wings, I can't fly us out which means we can't escape."

"You could be a bit more optimistic." Hayden said icily. Esmeray gave her a warning look and she ducked her head, sheepish and shot Zach an apologetic look.

Zach didn't seemed fazed. "It's kinda hard when you watch three people get dragged out of here screaming."

Esmeray swallowed nervously. "Do you know what happened to them?"

"They were failures. That's all they said." Zach explained. "First, you forget— you don't know who you are or what you're doing. Then, you get violent. I watched two of them almost kill each other. One of them had a nasty looking cut, just like that."

He pointed to Hayden's cut, and she lowered her shirt nervously.

"Don't worry." Zach said. "Black is okay. It's only really over when you start bleeding other stuff. When it starts turning silver..."

"Mercury." the evolved werewolf muttered. She closed her eyes, trying to feel down her pack bonds, but the lightning and whatever was still in her system was muffling it.

"That's when they know you're really a failure." Zach finished.

"How many more failures are there supposed to be?" Liam asked.

Zach shrugged. "Who knows? But doesn't it make you wonder what the success is going to look like? I mean, what are we turning into? Something with claws and fangs?"

"Something with wings?" the younger Beta countered.

Esmeray opened her eyes, looking at the three teenagers. "No. Whatever their success is going to be, it's going to be something much worse."

The air surged with electricity and she tensed.

"They're coming." she said, trying to shield Liam and Hayden the best she could as the footsteps got louder. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Hayden shrink against Liam, the smell of fear coming off her ins aves.

A reaction that was in Esmeray's opinion, highly justifiable.

"Oh God!" Zach exclaimed and she looked over at him. Silver blood was pouring from his nose.

Fuck.

The Dread Doctors appeared, the fence sliding apart as they walked straight to Zach, who was frantically backing away.

"Leave him alone!" Liam yelled.

"He doesn't deserve to die!" Hayden shrieked.

"Stop!" Esmeray shouted but the Dread Doctors ignored them. An odd pressure pinned her place and she struggled against it, but it was like sifting through quicksand.

The Dread Doctors grabbed Zach and dragged him out, the other boy screaming all the while. "Help me! Help me! No! No! Wait! No! Help me!"

The fence slid shut again and the winged boy kept screaming and crying out.

She heard the sound of metal sliding out and suddenly, Zach's heartbeat went quiet.

The evolved werewolf perked up as several familiars hit her nose, a grin forming on her face. Liam did the same, grinning as well.

"Dad! Scott! Isaac! Malia! Kira! Boyd!" she yelled, approaching the gate- but not to close- as the pack came into view came into view. Theo and Corey appeared behind them.

"You came." she said with a grin.

"Of course we did." Scott said.

"We don't leave pack-mates behind." her father said, stalking up to the gate.

"It's electric." she warned and her father stilled, narrowing his eyes.

"Clever bastards." he said, clucking his tongue.

"They are." she found her self agreeing.

"My time to shine then." Kira said quietly and held up her hands. The electricity surged into her.

Esmeray shot into action, grabbing the fence and pulling it in half. The boys moved to help her but she was nearly done as the two boys began to pull the fence open from the other side.

With a grunt, she ripped the gate in half.

"Awesome." she heard Corey whisper and she nodded in his direction. She turned back to Hayden, putting one arm over her shoulder as she helped the younger girl out. Scott quickly moved to support Liam, giving her a relieved look.

Everyone's okay. she thought, her eyes roaming the pack.

Except for Zach.

"This way." Kira said, leading the way out. Her father fell into step with her, Isaac and Malia made up the rear, Boyd walked next to Kira, and Theo walked behind the couple.

The way he held his body making Esmeray narrow her eyes. To others, it was nothing, but Esmeray would confidently bet that Theo was very... displeased.

She looked at her dad, who nodded. I'm seeing it too.

Corey turned to her. "I'm glad you guys are okay."

"I'm glad they haven't gotten to you either." the evolved werewolf told the younger boy.

"So am I. Rememebering..." Corey shuddered. "Not fun."

"I'm sorry." Scott said but Corey waved him off.

"It worked, but I'm not doing it ever again."

"Fair enough." Isaac said.

As they got closer, Hayden started walking on her own, letting go. Her dad quickly took her hand and she squeezed it tightly.

I'm here. she wordlessly communicated as she leaned into her dad's familiar, comforting presence. He squeezed her hand back, letting go to wrap an arm around her shoulder and pull her close.

Once they got out, Esmeray took in a deep breath of fresh air.

They had made it.

Stiles made it to back to the McCall house in time for the mandatory Pack Movie Night. Esmeray pulled him into a tight hug when he entered the kitchen, where she was making some hot chocolate.

"You okay?" she asked the human, letting him go a bit.

Stiles blinked. "You got kidnapped, most likely went through shit, and you're asking if I'm okay?"

"Yes. Now answer the question."

"I am." Stiles said. "Everyone's okay so I'm okay."

For now. Esmeray thought but she moved that thought aside.

"Really?" she pushed. She tilted her head, her blue eyes meeting his dark brown eyes. You can tell me. she wordlessly communicated.

He shook his head. Not here. "Yeah." he said.

Esmeray nodded, not quite believing him, but not wanting to push him to far, and let go. Stiles headed to the couch and Scott entered, throwing a concerned look over his shoulder.

"Something's wrong." she said.

Scott nodded. "There is."

He hesitated before pulling her into a tight hug. She burned her face into his neck, her mate tilting his head to the side to give her better access as she breathed in his scent, the soothing smell setting her nerves at ease.

"They killed him." she said brokenly. "The boy with us, Zach, they killed him, because he was bleeding mercury they deemed him a failure and they just killed him."

"We won't let them kill Corey and Hayden." Scott said firmly. "We'll stop them."

Esmeray nodded, but for the first time, she quietly doubted if they could win this fight.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

The school was eerily quiet as Esmeray entered the school. The atmosphere was like the calm before the storm, before the clap of thunder, the students holding in their breath for the next death, the next murder to happen.

No longer did people linger in the halls unless absolutely needed. Students no longer walked the school alone, but stuck to groups of two, three, four, five, even six at a time. Everyone had realized what being alone in the halls meant:

Death.

Despite this, the tension in the McCall pack had lessened up. Stiles had finally fessed up to the secret he had been keeping that night of the Pack Movie Night, the night Kira left.

His role in Donovan's death.

"I didn't mean to do it." Stiles rasped, fingers running through his hair. "Fuck, I didn't even want to kill him. But it was just so fast and I was trying to get away and then he was—"

He stopped, choking. Boyd immediately wrapped an

"Dead." Scott finished.

Stiles curled in on himself. "Scott, I swear, I didn't mean it, please believe me—"

Scott pulled Stiles into a tight hug.

The True Alpha spoke. "I've known you since we were babies, Stiles. I know you. And I know you would've never killed someone unless by accident or in self defense. Both applies to this situation. I don't blame you."

Stiles let out a strangled laugh. "You mean it?"

"I do." Scott said with all the surety of the world. "You're my brother, Stiles. I trust you. And to be honest? If I had to pick who would've made it out in that situation, I would've picked you."

"I would too." Esmeray said, putting an arm around Stiles. "You're a good person Stiles. He attacked you, he tried to kill you. Better you than him."

Isaac joined in. "He wanted you dead, Stiles. That wasn't him losing control of his inner animal, that was all him. You had the right to defend yourself, and you had no intention on killing him, you did it accidentally."

"It was never your fault." Boyd added. "It wasn't Esmeray's fault that Kate targeted her family, it wasn't Isaac's fault his dad was an abusive son of a bitch, it wasn't my fault that Alicia was kidnapped and murdered, and it definitely wasn't your fault that you, completely accidentally, killed Donovan."

"It was never your fault, Stiles." Kira agreed.

"Not once." Malia echoed.

Liam nodded. "He started it when he went after you. You tried to use your big brain to escape him, and it wasn't your fault that the library was under construction that night and those beams went through him... even if those beams unwittingly saved you."

"We got your back, Stiles." Scott finished.

"Always." Esmeray affirmed.

Ever since that night, Stiles had looked, acted, and been more lighter in days— since Donovan's death— and the pack had grown even more tight knit. Somehow, it was also making her eye Theo even more warily. She suspected it was his influence that had caused Stiles too withdrawn from the pack up until he had told them his secret.

They had also kept an eye on Corey and Hayden, but neither were bleeding mercury so that was a good sign.

But it was Parrish that frustrated her the most. It was him who was taking the bodies, which Malia, Peter, Lydia, and Stiles were currently looking for. Lydia had her Banshee sense, Malia knew the preserve like the back of her hand, had dad also knew the preserve quite well thanks to spending much of his time before the fire there, and Stiles had his genius brain to find clever solutions to working out the problem in his trademarked out of the box method.

She spotted Boyd and sped up. "Hey, you doing okay?" she asked.

Kira had left for New Mexico, to train under the Skinwalkers there to better control her powers. And she knew how hard the loss of his girlfriend had been for Boyd.

"Yeah." Boyd said with a smile. "I called her this morning, and she says that she could be here by next semester."

Esmeray grinned. "That's brilliant."

"I've also been feeling this pull." Boyd said. "I know the full moon is tomorrow but—"

The realization quickly dawned on the evolved werewolf. "Super moon."

"So full moon but on steroids?" Boyd quipped.

"Essentially." she agreed. "And with the Dread Doctors around... it might actually give us a leg up."

I seriously hope I didn't just jinx us. she worried but pushed through it.

"Hopefully." Boyd agreed with a small smile.

She returned the smile and they parted ways.

Her first period teacher had called in sick, and without a sub, her first period AP Physics class had turned into a free period.

And as Esmeray headed to the library, she heard sirens. Fuck. she thought and followed the noise.

Please don't be Scott, please don't be Liam, she thought as she ran down the halls. Please don't be Isaac, please don't be Boyd, please don't be Mason, please don't be Hayden—

A scent she had gotten familiar with hit her nose. Eucalyptus, rain, and pear.

Oh God.

She burst through the doors, running up to the railing and her heart dropped when she saw who was strapped onto the bed, covered in silver blood.

Covered in mercury.

When it starts turning silver, that's when they know you're really a failure.

Her eyes meet Corey, terrified Corey, who hadn't asked to be dragged into the supernatural but was now paying the price. "ESMERAY!" he screamed. "ESMERAY!"

"Corey!" she shouted, jumping the railing and running over. She took his outstretched hand and squeezed it. "Hey, hey hey, just breath, okay? Just breath. Breath with me."

He followed her instructions, breathing in sync with her, and calmed down a bit.

A paramedic cleared his throat. "Miss, can you come with us? You seem to be a... calming influence."

She looked a Corey.

"Don't leave me." he begged.

"I won't." the ravenette promised, getting into the ambulance. "I won't leave you."

During the ride to the hospital, she didn't let go of Corey's hand. She did text her pack mates where she was going and who she was with. This got concern form Stiles, who was (justifiably) worried of Parrish doing some when if Corey died.

Esmeray was more concerned about the Dread Doctors coming after Corey and Hayden.

As she kept watch over the fretfully sleeping Corey, she felt a pull on her bond with Scott. She closed her eyes, leaning into it.

Theo just lied to me about Stiles's involvement with Donovan's death. her mate told her down the bond. Said that Stiles deliberately murdered Donovan.

She sent an equivalent of a frown down the bond. But Stiles killed him in self defense.

Exactly. Scott confirmed. I think Isaac and Boyd are right on not trusting Theo. He's up to something.

Don't let Theo catch on. she said. Pretend to believe him, follow along, and you can catch him in the act. He doesn't know that we know the truth. We might be able to get something out of him.

I think he could be working with the Dread Doctors. It's been in my mind but... I just didn't want to accept it. I wanted to think he was a good person.

You believing in the best of people is your greatest strength, Scott. Esmeray agreed. But it can also be your greatest weakness. But don't let Theo ruin it for you.

I won't. Scott promised.

A familiar feeling of static and shifting, hazy air hit Esmeray and she snapped her eyes open. She shook Corey awake.

"They're here." she said. "You need to hide, now."

The Dread Doctors are here at the hospital. They're after Corey! she (mentally) shouted down her pack bonds as she and Corey rushed through the halls, looking over their shoulders every few seconds.

Corey staggered into a wall, coughing up mercury, but suddenly vanished before Esmeray's eyes.

"Nice." Esmeray said. "Can you hold it until we get out?"

Corey shimmered back into view. "I-I think so."

"Don't 'think so', 'do so.'" she advised.

Corey nodded, took a deep breath, and vanished.

"Good work." the Hale girl praised. "Now let's go."

They made it the parking garage for the ambulances when she heard the footsteps of the Dread Doctors.

She stalked forward, glancing at Corey and wordlessly telling him to hide. He nodded, pressing up against an ambulance and fading from sight.

Esmeray jumped on top of one of the ambulances and then jumped down, getting the Dread Doctor present in a thigh hold and flipping him to the ground. The Dread Doctor grunted but threw her off.

She smashed her fist into the eye part of the mask and saw the old, withered skin and milky pale eye underneath.

"What the fuck." she breathed.

"Insolent brat." the man sneered. "Expected of, for a descent of Marie-Jeanne."

"Who the hell is that?" she demanded.

The Dread Doctor surged, and she barely dodged. She didn't dodge the small blast of electricity, causing her to scream out and fall to the ground, muscles locking. That blast was not enough to kill, not enough to render comatose, but enough to stun, to render unable to move.

To get out of the way.

"Corey, run!" she screamed.

She could sense Corey running, even if he wasn't visible.

But the Dread Doctor was quicker.

Smooth as a serpent and quick as a viper, the Dread Doctor lunged, pulling something out of his cane and smashing it into the air.

Esmeray let out a broken, grief filled scream as Corey came back into view, the sharp thing straight through his heart, and fell as the Dread Doctor removed it and put it back into his cane.

Corey was dead before he hit the ground.

The Dread Doctor walked away, as if he hadn't just killed an innocent teenager, just murdered someone.

Gritting her teeth, Esmeray dragged herself over by her finger tips, placing a shaky hand on the gaping hole in Corey's chest. "I'm sorry." she whispered, fat, salty tears running down her safe. "Corey, I am so sorry."

That was where the security guards found her, weeping over Corey's dead body.

Esmeray stared blankly at the wall of the hospital lobby, hands and shirt covered in Corey's mercury stained blood, hugging herself tightly. A new scent hit her nose and she looked up to see a young woman who resembled Hayden— her sister, Valerie, she deduced.

"Esmeray Hale right?" the woman asked and she nodded. "You're lawyer has been contacted, and do you know your Miranda rights?"

"Yeah." she answered. "I'll answer the questions, that fucker killed my friend."

"Can you tell me what happened?" Valerie asked.

She took a breath. "I... I had this bad feeling Corey was in danger. From whoever's been killing the genetic Chimera's, I guess. And... and I woke up Corey and we tried to run.

She choked, tears springing up in her eyes. "He was there, waiting for us. I tried to fight him and... and he just threw me aside and stabbed Corey with something sharp hidden in his cane. And... and I just broke and began crying. The security guards found me there."

"Okay." Valerie said. "What did they look like."

"They had a mask, that covered their entire face, looked like some steampunk version of a doctor. I broke the eye part and underneath and they looked really old. Skin wrinkly, milky pale eye." she answered.

Valerie scribbled it down. Esmeray knew this was the first valid lead that Sheriff's department had.

"Thank you." Valerie said and the ravenette nodded. "Can I go?"

The deputy looked hesitant but nodded.

She stood up and left the hospital, ran, ran through the streets and to the preserve. When she finally stopped running, at the top of Look Out Point, night had fallen and the supermen was rising. Her wolf howled with joy at the moon, and she felt power of the moon start to flow into her veins.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her back into reality from the hazy mess of grief and anger.

Esmeray opened it, seeing the new message the litany of unread messages from her friends and dad. She shot a text to her dad that she was alive and okay before opening up the unread messages sent to her in the pack group chat.

Werewolf Captain America: Hayden' been injected with mercury by the Dread Doctors.

Werewolf Captain America: We brought her to the clinic and my mom's trying to do something to help Hayden.

Werewolf Captain America: Everyone be on guard. Something's going to happen and it's going to be tonight.

She quickly typed a response.

Dark Moon: I'm coming to the clinic.

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

When Esmeray made it to the clinic and entered, she can hear the argument going on inside.

Liam's voice rang from one of the operating room. "What do you mean, No?"

"Liam, look at her. She's too weak. It will kill her. We don't even know what the mercury's doing to her. We don't even know if it's actually mercury." Scott responded. "This can't be the only way to save her."

"It saved mine." Liam retorted. "It saved Boyd's and Isaac's and your's."

"Yeah, but that's different. Liam, Derek's old girlfriend Paige was bit. She was healthy and in good shape. And she died because her body rejected the bite. You turn or you die when you get bit, and even healthy people can reject it and die. If Scott bit's Hayden, there's a strong chance that she will die." Stiles said sharply.

"I agree with Scott and Stiles." Esmeray said, entering the room. She gave Liam and Hayden an apologetic look. "No one can predict if someone will survive the bite or not, it's always a fifty/fifty. In this state," she gestured to Hayden. "Hayden is more likely to reject the bite and die than accept it and heal."

She sniffed the air, glancing around the room. "And who has wolfsbane?"

"What?" Isaac asked, wide eyed and confused.

Scott's eyes went wide and he pulled out his inhaler before quickly crushing it. Esmeray hissed when she saw the crushed purple powder, backing up rapidly as Scott tossed it away. Isaac also stumbled away form the wolfsbane.

Esmeray glanced at Theo, who hadn't seemed surprised. And for a brief moment, she could've sworn to see annoyance flash through his eyes before a mask of shock, just a bit to perfect, was painted over his face.

"That's how you got your asthma back." Isaac breathed. "You were poisoned."

"How are you not dead?" Stiles asked Scott. "I mean, I'm glad your not dead but you've been inhaling lethal as fuck wolfsbane!"

"In very small amounts, wolfsbane isn't poisonous." Esmeray explained, pale faced. "But it will still be in your system for a day."

Scott sighed. "I'll deal with it."

"I'm staying with you." she declared before turning to Hayden and taking as much of her pain as she could. The younger girl gave her a relieved smile. "But right now, we need to keep you alive."

Melissa came, with hospital equipment she hooked Hayden up too.

"Okay, what's that?" Liam asked.

"It's called chelation therapy. It removes heavy metals from the blood. But, the problem is..." she glanced down at Hayden. "Is that it can injure the kidneys, and Hayden only has one to begin with, so..."

Hayden groaned, as if one cue.

Liam snatched Melissa's wrists. "Hey, you're hurting her."

Scott instantly pried Liam's hands off of Melissa. "And you're hurting her."

Liam deflated. "Sorry Melissa. Sorry Scott."

"It's the Supermoon." Esmeray said. "It's not your fault Liam. We can feel super moons every during the day, and it's going to make use both stronger and more aggressive then a usual full moon."

Liam looked scared.

"But we'll help you through it." Isaac promised.

"I'll get the Mountain Ash out." Stiles muttered.

"Please do." Scott agreed.

Esmeray and Hayden laughed, and that distracted her from seeing Theo slip out.

After Stiles left to see his father, Isaac accompanying him, she and Scott fell asleep on the chairs in the waiting room, her head on his shoulder and their hands intertwined.

She woke up to her father's low warning growl.

Her eyes snapped open, taking in Liam standing over her and Scott, eyes glowing gold and werewolf face and claws out. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Melissa enter the waiting room and tense at the sight.

Scott held out a hand. "Liam."

Liam blinked and deflated, and a wave of terror came off his chemosignals. "Oh my God, did I do anything?"

"Luckily, no." Peter drawled, holding a drinks tray in one hand and a bag of food in the other. "But watch yourself, Liam. You're IED is going to be worse than anything you have experienced in your life. So focus on whatever keeps you human and don't let go of it."

Peter passed out the drinks and food, and then brought the food he had gotten for Hayden to the ill dying Chimera. Esmeray, Liam, and Scott followed once they had gotten their fill on food, as did Melissa.

"It's not working." Esmeray murmured softly, taking Hayden's pain as she listened to the faint heartbeat.

"No." Melissa confirmed.

"Call Val... My sister... Valerie..." Hayden weakly pleaded.

"She's a deputy." Liam supplied.

"I think I might know where she is. Theo just texted me about the high school. He said there's cops everywhere. Might be another Chimera." Scott said.

"I don't want to die without her." Hayden said.

"I'll get her. I promise." Scott reassured and left the building.

A spike of unease gathered in Esmeray's gut. She closed her eyes and checked on her pack bonds, and the vague impressions of were her pack where.

Scott had just left the clinic.

Malia was in the preserve with Isaac.

Stiles was at the station, along with Boyd.

Liam was with her.

Her dad was at the school.

And Lydia was in the library as well.

She texted her best friend about the school, but got not response.

She's probably busy. the ravenette told herself.

The uneasiness didn't leave her.

Eventually, Hayden was moved to the hospital. Esmeray kept taking her pain, feeling useless.

"What's that?" Liam asked, pointing to spots on Hayden's neck.

"Those aren't from her werewolf side." the Hale girl confirmed. She inhaled reached out her inner animal to Hayden's.

Something lupine yet feline called back in response.

"Jaguar." she said the exact same time as her father.

Hayden stirred and gripped Esmeray's hand. "My sister..."

"Scott's out looking for her right now. He's going to bring her here as soon as he can, all right?" Melissa assured.

Hayden nodded and fell back asleep but she looked at Peter.

Something's wrong.

Liam left to look for Scott. Esmeray had wanted to keep him with her but Liam insisted he could do it.

Peter had followed the Beta shortly after. Mason, who had been informed by Liam of the situation and wanted to help, had arrived a few minutes after Peter had left.

"This is it, right?" she asked Melissa as she carefully maneuvered a piece of equipment.

"Yeah, bring it over here." Melissa confirmed.

Mason spoke,"Shouldn't we be talking to one of the doctors?"

The McCall matriarch sighed. "I've been wrestling with that for hours. Do we bring them in and watch them treat her as a normal patient while we stand here knowing that's not going to work? Or do we keep trying to do everything medically possible to save her while her body does things that shouldn't be medically possible?"

"She's going to die." Esmeray whispered. "All we can do is keep her comfortable."

"We should get Liam then." Melissa said. "You two go. I'll text you if anything happens."

She nodded and left the room, Mason on her heels. "Why didn't Scott give her the bite?"

"It would've either killed Hayden outright or sped up whatever the mercury is doing to her." Esmeray explained as she got into her car, Mason hopping in the passenger seat. She kept explaining as she pulled out of the parking lot and gunned it down the street. "Hayden's so sick I think the first possibility would've happened. Even healthy humans can reject the bite and die. If Scott gave her the bite when we found out she was a Chimera, then there's a chance she could've survived it and become a werewolf."

"But it's too late for her now." Mason said.

She swallowed. "Yeah."

Esmeray smelled the blood coming from the library the moment she parked her car. She exited her car and slammed the door shut before bursting into a sprint.

"SCOTT!" she screamed. "SCOTT! DAD!"

She found her dad out cold in the hallways, a broken brick over his head. She shook him awake as Mason went ahead.

Her dad's eyes fluttered open. "Stardust?"

"I'm here." she murmured, helping him to his feet. "Dad—"

"It's Theo. He's a Chimera and he's working with the Dread Doctors." her dad revealed.

She couldn't even respond before her mating bond with Scott snapped.

And Esmeray screamed.

Esmeray staggered into the library, the mountain ash circle broken. She didn't stop moving until she was kneeling next to Scott's still warm, bloodied body.

Something inside her made her press her hands to his chest and she started to give him CPR.

"Esmeray—" Mason started.

"No." she said, quickly blowing air into his lungs. "No, don't say it. He's to strong to die like this!"

"He's dead, Esmeray." Mason repeated.

She jerked her head to the Super moon. "Victoria Argent slit my throat on the eve of a full moon. And that was what triggered my body to keep healing."

She lifted her hands, showing the stab marks were knitting back together. She pumped Scott's chest again and blew oxygen into his mouth.

"You are the True fucking Alpha, Scott." she snarled. "Come on! Roar, Scott! Roar!"

She slammed her hands onto his chest.

The mating bond snapped back into place as Scott's eyes flew open, glowing their brilliant ruby red color as he roared.

She let out a broken laugh and buried her face into his chest, hands over his heart to feel it's beat. Thick, salty tears, poured her face as she sobbed.

"I'm here." Scott murmured. "I'm here."

She looked up and kissed him. "I love you so fucking much, Scott."

He grinned. "Love you too, Esmeray."

Chapter Text

Esmeray Hale

Esmeray's hands shook as she washed the blood— Scott's blood— off of her hands. Once her hands were clean, she grabbed some gauze bandages and headed back into Scott's room.

Her mate was sitting up on his bed, shirtless. In any other situation she would've appreciated the sight, but right now it exposed his bloody chest wound.

"You're still not healing?" she asked.

"Yeah." Scott said.

She sighed. "Scott, it wasn't your fault. Theo took advantage of all of us. Not just you. He wormed his way in and even though Boyd, Isaac, Stiles, and I were suspicious, none of us thought that... this would happen."

Once she had gotten the full story, her pack bond with Liam had quickly crippled as she rejected him. He had tried to kill Scott, who had only ever wanted to help and guide Liam.

Scott tried to stand up. "And Theo's still out there—"

The evolved werewolf put a hand on his heart, gently pushing him back down. "We will catch him. But we can't do that if you're injured. So you need to just rest."

He pouted slightly. "I hate it when you're reasonable."

"Someone has to be reasonable in this friend group." she deadpanned, holding up the bandages. "Now let me patch you up."

Scott nodded and she swiftly bandages up the claw marks. Her phone rang just as she finished up.

She frowned at the caller ID: MAMA MCCALL

"Mom." Scott breathed, eyes wide with worry.

Esmeray accepted the call. "Melissa? Is something wrong?"

"It's Stiles." Melissa answered and Esmeray stood up instantly, glaring at Scott so he wouldn't follow her.

"Is he okay? What's wrong?" she and Scott asked at the same time, resulting in their voices overlapping.

Melissa sighed over the phone, weariness dripping off every word. "He's okay physically. But the Sheriff's in surgery and Stiles's asking for you. Isaac is here with him but Stiles has been asking for you as well."

"Tell him I'm coming." she answered and hung up.

"I'll stay here." Scott promised. "Go help Stiles."

"You didn't even need to tell me." she replied and hurried out of the room. Once she was outside, she got in her car and gunned it for the hospital.

The moment Esmeray entered the hospital, she quickly found Stiles and Isaac sitting next to each other, both sleeping. Isaac woke up and gave her a smile. "Hey sis."

"Hey brother." she greeted before turning to Stiles. He was twitching and muttering and very carefully, the ravenette shook his shoulder to wake him.

Stiles woke with a gasp, blinking rapidly as his eyes took her in. "Esme? You came?"

"Of course I did." she answered, sitting next to him. "You're pack."

That got her a grin and he took her hand. She squeezed it, a wordless promise of support.

"How's Scott." Stiles asked, the pain of knowing that both his best friend and his father were deeply injured visible on his face.

"Scott's doing okay. He's alive." she explained. "He's... he's not healing quickly. He's blaming himself for this."

Stiles sighed. "His heart is both his greatest asset and greatest weakness at the same time."

She nodded, gesturing to all three of them. "That's why he's got us, and the rest of the pack, to make sure this doesn't happen again."

It was then she noticed Malia's absence. Isaac shook his head, a wordless promise to explain later. She fixed him with a I will definitely get the story out of you soon look.

Melissa walked over to them. Stiles immediately sat up straighter. "My dad?"

"He's okay. Dr. Geyer is stitching him up right now." Melissa said soothingly.

Stiles tried to stand up. "Okay. I wanna see him."

Melissa put him back in his seat. "The anesthesia needs to wear off. It's gonna be at least two hours."

Her friend nodded. "Okay, yeah, but everything's gonna be okay, though? I mean, he's okay?"

The nurse nodded. "Mmhmm. He's gonna be just fine."

"Thank God." Stiles said shakily.

Esmeray nodded in agreement.

Things go well until they don't.

"What do you mean, You don't know?" Stiles all but shouted. "Two hours ago, he was fine! Now it looks like somebody took a baseball bat to his neck."

"Stiles." Isaac said but Stiles didn't calm down. Esmeray could sympathize with Stiles's current situation, remembering when the doctors had tried to explain her father's coma when she had demanded to know what was wrong, why hadn't he healed, why hadn't he visited her—

Dr.Geyer's voice broke her out of her mental spiral. "There could've been some minor internal—"

Her friend swiftly cut him off. "Did you say minor internal? Since when is anything internal minor?"

"Stiles." Esmeray snarled, fixing him with a look. "The doctors are trying. They could've missed something but they will be able to save him."

There's something supernatural about his injuries was not spoken, but she knew Stiles and Isaac heard the unspoken words.

She guided him away from Dr.Geyer. Isaac followed, flanking Stiles's other side.

"I understand." she said. "After the fire, I was so confused and distressed when my dad didn't heal. But your dad is as tough and stubborn as my dad. There's no way he's going to die. Not when he still has you."

Stiles nodded, but his hands were shaking. "I can't do this again."

"You won't." Isaac said. "You won't lose him."

They crossed through the doors and entered the next room. There, Scott and Boyd had just exited the elevator.

Scott pulled Stiles into a hug, and Stiles hugged back. Boyd squeezed Stiles's shoulder when Scott let go of Stiles.

"We need to talk." Scott said.

After being kicked out of Lydia's room by Natalie, she and Stiles joined Parrish, Boyd, Scott, Isaac, and Melissa in the morgue. The moment she locked eyes with Parrish, an uncomfortably familiar smell hit her nose.

"Why do you smell of fire?" Esmeray asked Parrish point blank.

"What?" Parrish repeated.

Esmeray rubbed her hands together, taking in Parrish's scent. It was just like the first time she had gotten a hint of it, but the second layer seemed stronger.

Stiles seemed to realize what she was implying. "Have you gotten any memory blanks?"

"Yes." Parrish confirmed.

She tilted her head. "Then your... other has been active recently. And something fired based, which should help narrow it down."

Scott slapped his hands down on the table. "But that's not important right now. The Sheriff surviving is the most important thing on today's agenda."

"And Lydia?" Parrish asked.

"The memory ritual obviously went wrong." Isaac guessed.

"Yeah that's probably what happened." Stiles huffed. "Theo didn't have the decency to do the ritual correctly and then just left her to die! Which means his death will be very painful."

"Guys." Scott said firmly. "Theo took her because Lydia knew something, given she's the resident genius. But what he wanted to know is the big question."

"But what does that have to do with the Sheriff?" Melissa asked.

"Did Theo even say that he attacked the Sheriff?" Boyd cut in.

There was a solid beat of silence.

"No." Scott hoarsely confirmed.

"It wasn't Theo." Esmeray said slowly. "Because Theo's whereabouts don't match up to when the Sheriff was attacked. Which means it was—"

"A Chimera." Stiles finished.

After figuring out which missing teenager was the Chimera that attacked the Sheriff, Esmeray stepped aside to make some calls.

"Esmeray?" Chris asked, having answered on the first ring.

"A Chimera attacked the Sheriff, and the pack and I are going to go find them. And you're a pretty good Hunter."

"I'll be in Beacon Hills in forty five minutes." Chris said. "I can track your phone. Does Peter know?"

"No." Esmeray said. "I'll tell him. But you can help?"

"I can. And I can teach you a few tricks if you want. Nothing lethal, just some un-werewolf ways of tracking people if this happens again." Chris offered.

She paused, thinking about words that Allison had told her over a year ago.

You know, you're still rejecting the part Dad gave you just as Gerard rejected you for being a Hale.

"Sure." she agreed softly. "I have to go now."

"I'll see you soon." Chris promised before hanging up.

After calling Peter and explaining the situation, Esmeray and the pack headed to the school to get Noah Patrick— the Chimera's name— scent. There, Malia joined them, much to Isaac's (very visible) surprise.

So everything was a bit awkward once the group made it to the railroad depot.

"What happened with you and Isaac?" she asked Malia as they followed Noah's scent.

Malia sighed. "I'll tell you later when the Sheriff isn't dead. And when we're all not dead on our feet."

The evolved werewolf nodded. "I'll be here when you're ready."

Her sister gave her a thankful smile before turning suddenly. "Here!"

Stiles raced over. "Let's go! Let's not hold our horses anybody!"

"I agree for once." Boyd threw in and followed Stiles.

Esmeray slipped into the back with Scott who was following behind. She frowned at the bloody spot on his chest. "You okay?"

"I'll be okay." Scott said. She threw one of his arms over her shoulder to take some of the weight, and absorbing some of his pain.

"Thanks." her boyfriend mumbled.

"Anytime." the ravenette murmured.

Malia found some blood as the group dove deeper into the underground tunnels. "This is Noah's. He was here. I think he's close."

Esmeray inhaled, taking in the scent of the blood and flaring out her senses. "It's his and he's definitely close by."

She heard a heartbeat not from her friend's close in and she lunged, slamming into the figure. He howled but she didn't let go, letting her eyes glow and her fangs and claws appear as she slammed him into the wall.

"What did you do?" Stiles demanded, appearing next to her.

"Let me go, please! Please! They're coming!" the Chimera, Noah, begged. As if one cue, the skittering noise she had come to associated with the Dread Doctors rang out.

Isaac there his hands into the air. "For fucks sake!"

"You're not going anywhere." Stiles said.

"I don't remember!" Noah cried out.

Stiles scoffed. "You don't remember anything?"

"No. Not when it happens, not when I change." Noah said, eyes wide and frantic as he struggled against Esmeray's iron hold.